Child's Play
by ira-gula-superbia
Summary: As the original members left to seek their own fortunes, the Teen Titans fell apart and have now been inactive for several years. Now, new heroes have risen to take on the mantle of their elders. [This is an extension of A Clean Slate, but it is not necessary to read the other story to enjoy this one]
1. Something Old, Something New

**We own the rights to nothing in this story.**

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"Mar'i, what in the world are we doing out here?" Robin grumbled, keeping himself entertained by flitting between the shadows that populated the dockyard. Abuse, attired in his usual trenchcoat and hat, had used his strength to arrange the crates to form a throne for himself that he lounged upon, tossing jelly beans one by one into his mouth. Completing the trio was a teenaged girl with smooth, light orange skin and ebony hair who hovered in the air, her pretty face twisted into a scowl directed at the hooded Boy Wonder. Her toned body was budding and already attracting the attention of most of her peers and her outfit made the effort to showcase it, a black long sleeved shirt and pants with purple accents that left her lean abdomen bare.

"It's Nightstar when we're in costume. How many times do I have to tell you before it gets through your thick skull?" she snapped, a brief scowl hardening her otherwise angelic face.

"'Thick skull?' Like you're one to talk," he groused, pausing to glare up at her from the expressive domino mask.

"Pipsqueak," she taunted.

"Airhead," he growled.

"Runty psychopath."

"Flighty nuisance."

"Sexual tension!" Abuse roared, causing both of them to jump as he threw a handful of jelly beans into his mouth and crunched on them with a broad grin. "Gotta love it."

Nightstar blushed, an interesting warming of her skin tone that hovered between orange and crimson like heated metal, while Robin snarled at his friend, "You need to have your eyes and your head checked out because there is definitely something wrong with you."

He shrugged and chuckled before stretching his massive body and sighing, glancing back towards the spires and towers of Gotham City. Heaving another sigh, he lolled his head back and wondered aloud, "Hey, why didn't we bring Nell along? Then I'd at least have somebody to snicker with at you two."

"_Batgirl's_ got parent stuff tonight. She couldn't make it," Nightstar explained.

"Oh, what a tragedy. To think that she missed out on this deliriously exciting endeavor," mocked Batman's protégé, earning a glare and low power starbolt from the human alien hybrid.

Folding her arms across her chest, she said, "Look, an old friend of mine is coming to town and he asked me to bring you guys along."

"Why?" Abuse asked between jelly beans.

"I don't know," she shrugged, "He's wasn't – well, _isn't_ too big on talking. Still, he's a good guy."

"You're far too kind, Mar'i."

All eyes flickered to the container several feet away from Nightstar where the voice that sounded like velvet trying to cover gravel had called out from and they stared at the peculiar cat that was lying on his belly as though resting. He was a sleek creature of ashen fur tainted by a faint green as though moss was growing within the silky hairs. There was a faint crimson glow to eyes devoid of pupil or iris and as they all blinked at the cat, he tilted his head, regarding them with equal curiosity. Then Nightstar squealed with delight and opened her arms for the animal to bound into, which he did so willingly despite the inhumanly strong hug it was then subjected to. She twirled through the air, descending towards the ground as her friends looked on as though she had lost it.

Abuse's eyes flickered towards Robin, who looked equally astonished and perplexed, and he stood partway between a combat crouch and a relaxed stance. He brought a sledge sized hand up to push his hat up slightly and scratch at his stony forehead before pointing out, "Ummmm . . . that cat . . . i-it just talked. Right? I mean, I wasn't imagining things, right?"

"And why does it get to call you 'Mar'i?'" Robin demanded

"First off, _he_ is not a cat. Usually. Though, now that I think about it," she paused, frowning, and then looked down at the cat in her arms who met her gaze evenly, "I think you've been human less than anything else around me. Oh, and secondly, he doesn't know that I became a hero, so as far as Ty's concerned, I'm just Mar'i."

"Ty?" questioned the young behemoth.

"Short for Tyson," explained the feline as he hopped from his friend's arms. He arched his back, performing the typical cat stretches and then glanced back towards the ebony-haired beauty, "And there's nothing 'just' about you, Mar'i."

"Damn," Abuse whistled, "He's good. So what's the talking not-cat want us for?"

"We're going to have to get this out of the way, aren't we?" he sighed. Before an explanation could be demanded for his musing, bones cracked as muscle and flesh tore, and the cat twisted into a bipedal stance, lurching about for a minute as its body swelled. Both the boys stepped back, horror painting Abuse's features beneath his hat, but Nightstar merely winced at the more prominent pops and tearing sounds. Standing several inches taller than the hybrid, the beast ceased his growth and his features became mostly human. Leather armor inscribed with runes carrying the silver glimmer of magic covered his torso with matching gauntlets and greaves on the respective limbs. Pants that flowed into the leather greaves were equipped with several leather straps to afford protection without entirely hampering mobility covered his legs. Claws, nearly talons, tipped his fingers and toes, which were left bared, revealing thick skin that was the same strange mix of moss green and ash grey of the cat's fur. Hesitantly, he reached up and flicked down the hood that obscured his face, revealing an elfin face with angular features and extended ears. He opened his mouth, revealing elongated canines and gave a jerky nod of his head.

"S-s-s-see? H-human. . . . Mo-mostly," he conceded and he tried to give them a grin. His teeth were normal enough aside from pronounced canines but suddenly his mouth was bristling with fangs that he panicked over and quickly tried to cover. The boys arched their brows and shared a glance as Mar'i streaked forward again to capture him in a hug, giggling excitedly.

"Oooooohhh! It's so good to see you! And I mean the actual you, not another animal," she squealed.

"I am an animal," he stated simply.

She held him out at arm's length as though he were still the same weight as a cat and she admonished, "You know what I mean."

"True," he gave a soft grin that she returned before finally setting him down. He glanced toward her other friends but looked away when their eyes met and squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze before he began to explain, "I-I'm sorry t-t-to c-cause any inconvenience, b-but there is a t-t-th-th- Curse it all!"

His roar caused them to jump and a batarang sprang into Robin's hand while Abuse balled his fists, but Ty's rage quickly abated as the silence was filled with the grotesque, visceral sounds of his shifting. In his place hunched a powerful gorilla, the unique coloration consistent throughout his forms. He lifted a hand, which could have nearly wrapped about Nightstar's waist, to illustrate his point as he continued, "As I was saying, there is a threat coming. I haven't pinpointed the exact date, but it'll be too late for the current world's protectors. They will be ineffectual or old or . . . dead."

Abuse's hand shot into the air and Ty stared at it, blinking infrequently, until the large youth finally lowered his arm and asked, "Okay, I gotta ask . . . uh, what's up with the monkey suit?"

"_Gorilla beringei graueri._ Eastern lowlands gorilla," he corrected immediately before glancing away and muttering under his breath, "And it's . . . more comfortable."

"What?" Robin narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"It's more comfortable," he rushed and maintained the momentum as he rolled into the continuation of his speech, "Regardless, this threat will bring the world to its knees. Our generation is powerful but we are spread thin and have no connection aside from small alliances. We are all so sure that we can handle ourselves. And that will be our end. Earth shall be lost unless we can change things."

"Who's the enemy?" demanded the dark haired boy.

"I . . . don't know," Ty admitted.

"How much time do we have?"

"I already said I don't know."

Robin nodded slowly, his face solemn before he asked, "And how did you find out about this attack?"

"Visions."

"Visions," he scoffed. "Well, at least we're going on something substantial."

"Back off, Damian," Nightstar scathed.

"I came along to humor you. To cease your incessant whining. But now that I've confirmed that this is a fool's errand, I'll be taking my leave to stop actual crime. Not pipe dreams. Let's go, Colin."

Abuse glanced between his departing friend and the floating girl and massive gorilla, his crisis obvious as he pleaded, "D, hold up. Let's hear him out. Even if the threat's not real, I think he's onto something."

"Good for him."

"We're rebuilding the Teen Titans."

The steady words of the ape gave Robin pause and he glanced over his shoulder to the suddenly beaming Abuse and gaping Nightstar. He gazed into the blank eyes with their eerie glow and slowly smiled.

"I should warn you . . . I don't play well with others."

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**This story takes place approximately twenty years after the events of _A Clean Slate_. ****All the characters featured in this story will be from the DC universe though some will have undergone massive changes to make them fit. Not worse than much of the bastardization committed in the New 52.**

**Please give reviews! We need them to continue this story.**


	2. Jack Be Nimble

**We own the rights to nothing of this story.**

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"Are you sure this is the right place?"

Colin Wilkes arched an apprehensive brow at the row of quaint houses of suburbia, a far cry from any sort of residence in Gotham City. They were showered in sunlight instead of rain droplets that struck with such ferocity that they stung on bare skin. Springy green grass decorated lawns that were contained by crisp white fences, instead of the familiar dull dirt interspersed with broken bottles and surrounded by rusted chain link. There was laughter and shouts of joy in the air in place of screams, the shriek of sirens, and the bark of gunfire.

After calling to inform their parents and caretakers of their newfound affiliation and obligations, and not always necessarily waiting for approval, he, Damian Wayne, and Mar'i Grayson had commandeered a spare Batplane, and spent the last several hours flying across the United States in cramped quarters, even with Ty adopting the form of a mouse. They had landed about an hour ago outside Central City, and left their transport hidden through the use of chameleon circuitry. Ty strode through the streets in his strange armor, hood drawn up and eyes constantly roaming, searching for something but without telling them what he sought.

The rest of them had taken on civilian attire, trying to avoid attention as much as possible. Colin had traded the attire of Abuse for a red sweatshirt, a pale yellow shirt, and simple slacks that he kept tight to his thin waist. Shades hid Damian's eyes and the hood of his black sweatshirt was drawn up, further dousing him in shadow. He moved warily through the city in their search, expecting every alley to hold some danger like those of his home. A holoring disguised Mar'i's distinctive skin tone, leaving her with a natural peach hue that she had no trouble showing off with a lavender tanktop with thin straps and white capris. Her long, dark hair was piled atop her head and stored inside the violet baseball cap, marked with a star, which she wore.

They had followed the mysterious shape shifter to the outskirts of the city, away from the hustle that plagued the city to the idyllic suburbs. He paused for an instant, sniffing the air before loping towards a simple, two story house. Nothing about it was particularly distinctive or noteworthy, largely the same as the other houses though it was better tended to than some. Ty stared at it and sniffed the air again, earning odd stares as he nodded, "This is it. This is the right place."

Peering down both sides of the street, Mar'i mused, "Looks peaceful enough. So, uh . . . what's here, exactly?"

He hesitated for a brief second before answering, "The first step."

The way he said made it sound as though it were meant to explain everything, but his companions only offered confused glances and furrowed brows before Damian asked, "The first step to what?"

"Salvation," he responded simply before licking his lips and striding towards the house, mumbling under his breath, "O-o-or d-damnation."

"Wait, what was that?" Colin shouted after the chromatically challenged teenager. "Hey! What did you just say?"

"N-n-n-nothing," he muttered as he rang the doorbell and the other three joined him on the stoop. From behind his shades, Damian studied the neighborhood, scouting the best ambush points, the quickest exits, and the most defensible positions. It was an instinctive action just like how Colin's hands balled into fists whenever people got loud or abruptly got too close to him. When the door swung open, he regarded the lean dark-haired youth who stood in the doorway, a portable game console in his hand. He studied them, almost tiredly, before turning back into the house and calling, "Iris! It's for you!"

"Whoizzit?"

The words jumbled together as a multi-colored blur appeared in the doorway, buzzing about the dark-haired boy until he was pushed out of the way, grumbling as he went. The blur became more distinct as it slowed its frenzied motions, the shape refining itself into a short teenage girl with vibrant red hair tied into a pair of pig tails. A blue hoodie hung open over a plain yellow shirt and she wore jean shorts. Old bruises, rugburn, and numerous grass stains adorned her skin and clothes alike. Her shoes were curiously bulky with thick soles and decorated with the iconic Flash lightning bolt on the heels. She beamed at the gathering outside her door, emerald eyes gleaming with an admirable vivacity as she offered vigorous handshakes to each of them.

"Hey, hello, hi," she greeted them eagerly. "Hey, um, sorry if I don't remember you, but I honestly don't recognize any of you. In my defense, I meet a _lot_ of people. All over the place."

"N-n-n-no, t-th-this is our f-first m-m-m-meeting," Ty explained.

"I'm Mar'i. Big guy's Colin, shades is Damian, and the guy in the hood is Ty."

"S-short f-f-for Tyson."

"Oh, cool. It's always nice to meet new people. I'm Iris-"

"Stop giving out information to strangers!"

Iris leaned back inside the house and hollered back to the disembodied voice, "They're not strangers, dweeb! They just introduced themselves."

She turned back to the guests and jabbed a thumb inside, "That's my brother, Jai. Twin, actually. Obviously fraternal since I inherited all the good looks."

"Yes, and I got the brains," he called from inside.

"Which he rots on video games pretty much 24/7," she retorted, still smiling brightly and not letting her gaze waver from her guests.

"Anyway," Damian interrupted, crossing his arms across his chest, "We're supposed to find some sort of 'first step' in a pipedream to save the world."

"Vision," the shape shifter corrected.

"Right," nodded the young Wayne, "Like I said; pipedream."

Iris cocked her head and glanced between them again, "I think I missed something. Who are you guys again?"

"We're-"

"The Teen Titans!" Colin boomed, interrupting Damian who glared up at the tall redhead as Mar'i covered her face with her palm and groaned.

However, Iris's smile, which already nearly reached from ear to ear, broadened even further at his announcement and her eyes grew brighter, "Reallynowaythatizzofreakingc ooloohoohpleasesayyourehere-torecruitmepleasepleasepleas epleasepleasepleaseplease!

As his gaze flickered between his friends, Colin leaned down to whisper to Mar'i, "Hey, did you catch _any_ of that?"

"Yeah. I think so. Maybe," she murmured back before finally simply shaking her head, "I, uh - No. Nope. I think she said 'please' towards the end there. But, uh, yeah. That's pretty much it."

"'Really? No way! That is so freaking cool! Ooh, ooh, please say you're here to recruit me! Please, please, please, please, please, please, please!'" Ty parroted at a rate that everybody could understand and Iris groaned.

"Thatswhatijustsaid!"

"Irey, you're speed talking again," her brother called from the other room. She stopped her super-speed rant, took a deep breath, and then another, collecting herself before she tried to speak again.

"So you guys are here to recruit me, right?"

"I-I-I th-think so," Tyson admitted.

"Yes!" she cheered before suddenly vanishing. The fledgling team blinked and then Iris was back except she had changed from civilian clothes into a suit duplicated from Bart Allen during his career as Impulse. She beamed at them from behind the amber goggles and performed several rapid turnabouts, holding her arms out to her side and waiting for their approval. "Tah-dah! My kinda-sorta-uncle-guy had this stashed away up in his attic, so I decided to snag it. Pretty sweet, right? Impulse! Or Kid Flash. Whattaya you think?"

"Dude, I so need to get myself a super suit," Colin whined to Damian who narrowed his eyes up at him.

"You've got knuckles with your name on them and body armor. Why do you need a suit?" he demanded.

"Iris! Why the heck are you revealing your identity to these kids?! You have no idea who they are," Jai scolded as he emerged back into view, his brow furrowed.

"Actually," Mar'i slid the ring from her finger and lifted into the air. She removed the cap and shook out her hair, letting a glow come to her eyes as she smiled down at the astonished twins, "I'm Mar'i Grayson. Nightstar."

"Oh yeah," Colin smiled as he cracked his knuckles and his body suddenly swelled, filling his formerly baggy clothes. "Colin Wilkes. Abuse."

Their combined gazes turned to focus on Damian who snarled at them and shuffled away. Abuse stepped closer, blocking his escape path and forcing him forward. He grimaced and his fingers flickered, drawing a bird-a-rang from his sleeve as he grumbled, "Damian Wayne. Robin."

The twins looked to Tyson who looked ready to bolt, his eyes going wide and his ears twitching. For a second, his recent teammates thought that he would literally turn rabbit and bolt but he held his ground and managed out, "T-t-tyson Logan. Ty."

"Oh," Jai said, his gaze fixed upon Mar'i as his sister appeared as though she were about to burst from excitement, giggling as she clenched her fists to her chest. The young gamer quickly pocketed his portable console and smoothed down his hair, trying to make it look natural before he grinned at the dark haired girl floating in front of him.

"Well then. Hello there."

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**Hey, we managed to churn out another chapter! Praise us, praise us! Anyway, we hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Don't know when the next one will come out.**

** I Be Sporks: First off, dear Nell Little will be making an appearance. Of sorts. It'll become clear. And does this fix that number problem? And, no, nobody died . . . Maybe.**

**Normally, this is where we say 'please review.' Unfortunately, due to changing the original first chapter, anybody that posted on the Alternate First Chapter won't be able to post on this one. So if you want to review this chapter, please send us a PM. Or, if you didn't post on the original first chapter, post there. Thank you and please review!**


	3. What Are Little Boys Made Of?

**We own the rights to nothing of this story.**

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Tyson frowned at the image of pale green boy in the mirror, divested of his typical armaments save his leggings. They lay beside him on the clean bathroom floor, the interiors bearing even more glowing runes than were inscribed on the exterior. His companions were downstairs and his ears twitched as he caught pieces of their conversation – the fervent declarations of Iris West as she darted about the kitchen, her brother's clumsy attempts at flirting with Mar'i, and Damian's persistent grumbles. Several minutes earlier, he had excused himself as unobtrusively as he could, using the excuse of requiring the bathroom.

He was lean and fit, trained from the earliest memories of his youth by his parents and others close to the royal family. Mysticism was a struggle for him, but he had taken to the physical training and his efforts were evident in the stringy muscles of his form. However, he had not retired to the bathroom to examine his physique. Leaning forward, he wrapped his fingers about the edge of the sink and took slow, measured breaths. His gaze focused on the silvery drain of the porcelain sink and he shuddered before his eyes went inky black and he jerked them up to stare into the mirror. Fangs elongated, talons grew and screeched against the formerly pristine sink, and his senses sharpened, every single word of the conversation downstairs apparent.

Then came the pain and he bit back a snarl as the skin at his stomach stretched, and what appeared to be a set of fangs tried to break from the prison of his flesh. It was soon joined by another maw, more pointed and narrower, leaping from his chest and snapping in irritation as it failed to seize freedom. More jaws pushed from his body and then claws, hands reaching out and mere inches away from grasping the prize that they sought. Sweat beaded on his skin and his ears were filled with a dreadful roaring, howls, and snarls that demanded release from him. Fire and brimstone filled his nostrils as the metallic taste of blood occupied his mouth even as none filled it. A crack appeared along the sink from the force exerted by his grip and his claws stabbed deeper into its surface.

Finally, the dark sensations receded and the vicious limbs that sought to burst from him disappeared, his body returning to normal. His breathing was ragged and small tremors wracked his sweat-soaked body as he struggled to regain control of his being. The blackness in his eyes drained, leaving them bloodshot and tired as he continued to lean on the sink. As he finally managed to reduce his heart rate, his ears twitched, his nostrils flared, and he knew the knock was coming before it landed, light raps against the wooden barrier.

"Ty?" Mari called. "You all right in there?"

"F-fine," he panted.

He heard the hesitation, smelt the unease as she faltered and pressed, "Are you sure? You've been in there a while. Iris is kind of worried about the state of her bathroom."

A short chuckle emerged at her attempt to put him at ease and he answered in a more confident voice, "I-I'll be done in a minute. I'm afraid that flights in human contraptions still don't sit well with me."

"Like that first weekend you came to visit? Your dad decided that you guys were going to take more conventional travel, and you spent the entire time tossing your cookies."

She had settled against the door, clearly intent on sticking around for the time being, and he accepted it with only the briefest sense of resignation. He gathered his vest as he responded, "Your additions to my meal didn't particularly help."

As he pulled the armor over his head, he winced but suppressed the hiss at the sensation of the lightly glowing runes pressing against his skin once more. The pain quickly subsided and he began to tighten the straps on the sides as Mari retorted hotly, "Mustard goes good on everything. You just don't have anything remotely resembling good taste."

He nodded his head in agreement as he picked up the gauntlets, "Well, I am friends with you, so you may have a point."

"You're lucky I can't just burst in on you," she warned him.

"Well," he opened the door, stealing away her back's support and letting her fall back. "I wouldn't be totally surprised."

"Oh, please," she scoffed, rising from the floor to float in the air. "We were, like, what? Six?"

Giving a small chuckle, he flicked the light switch to the bathroom and eased past her, heading down the hall and for the stairs. She floated after him, the pair of them soon entering back into the kitchen where they were immediately confronted by a bright-eyed Iris. Running in rings around them, corralling them closer together, she bombarded them with inquiries.

"Oooohyoutwoweregoneareallylo ngtimetogetherwhatwereyoudoi nghuhhuhmakingalittlesmoochi esmoochieyeahibetyouwereeheh ehe," she cheered.

"Iris, they weren't gone that long. It simply felt like it for you," her twin informed her, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at her blurred form. "And slow down. Next to nobody can understand you."

She suddenly appeared in one of the spare chairs around the table, giving a loud _humph_ and slouching in the seat as the others also settled into the places. Before the previous conversations could resume, Damian asked, "So, oh mysterious one, we found Iris. Which I still have mixed feelings about. Now what do we do?"

"Th-there a-a-are m-more. M-m-m-more y-young h-heroes, ch-children o-o-o-o-of t-the p-p-pr-previous g-generation. W-w-we n-need to f-f-find t-them," he stuttered fiercely under the attention that was turned upon him.

"Gotta catch 'em all," Colin snickered, Iris soon joining in.

"How do you plan to track all of them? Find them?" Jai asked, his expression serious.

Tyson shrugged, "M-most I h-h-have m-m-m-my own m-means of t-t-tr-tracking."

"Great. More 'visions,'" Damian grumbled.

"What visions?" Iris queried.

The dark-haired boy turned to her and answered, "We're following Tyson here on some sort of crazy pipedream. He says we need to gather together the new generation of heroes or else we're all doomed or something equally depressing."

His words only served to broaden Iris's smile and she rocketed up from her chair, slamming her palms upon the table. The sudden action caused Tyson to jump, but the others merely flinched at the sudden flurry of motion as Iris exalted, "Youmeanwehavesomebigsavethew orldmission?!"

Colin glanced towards Jai and pointed a finger at his sister.

"Is she always like this? 'Cause, I'll be honest, not sure how long I can stand all the super-speed talk."

"It's actually not as bad as it seems. You get used to it pretty quick," he shrugged as he leaned back, his mind elsewhere. "Hold on a minute."

Jai left the table and Iris disappeared from it a second later, temporarily abandoning the other four. Damian leaned in, his gaze focused upon Tyson, and he whispered, "Are you certain we need her? Sure, she's fast, but it's obvious that she's raw, untrained. I could take her out in less than a minute."

"T-t-training i-is -"

The shape shifter stopped midsentence and his form contorted, twisting into the shape of a fox with thick fur and crimson eyes. He padded about on the table before lying on his belly and staring at Damian before continuing, "We wouldn't need to seek anybody out if they were all trained. They are powerful, and most would receive training, but this coming battle is not one that a single champion can win."

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, give it up forrrrrrr . . . Impulse!"

Iris appeared rather abruptly back into the room, her clothes exchanged for a flexible, armored suit of red with white sides. Her red boots had understandably thick soles, and she wore a golden visor that covered her whole face, serving to obscure it from others. The pig tails in her hair were now contained by bands that featured the perennial symbol of Flash's throughout the ages: a lightning bolt. She pushed up the visor and beamed at the group, performing several rapid turns to give them different perspectives of her suit.

"Well, what do you guys think? Looks good on me, right? Honestly, I was debating on 'Impulse' or 'Kid Flash.' And then 'Speed Demon,' 'Whiz Kid,' 'Hot Pursuit,' -"

"Impulse sounds fine," Mari interjected. Tyson, still in the form of a fox, sat in front of her and affectionately leaned into the golden fingers that scratched at the base of his ear. Pausing in her excited rant, the newest Impulse blinked at the sight of the strangely colored animal.

"When did we get a cat?"

"_Vulpes lagopus,_" he corrected.

"Gah!" Impulse darted back, "It talks!"

"Found it!" Jai announced as he entered back into the room, holding aloft a game console. "I remembered watching this clip on Superfail. It might help you guys in your little adventures."

He placed the device on the table and the young metahumans gathered around to examine the screen, watching a dark-haired youth in a blue suit with an iconic S emblazoned across his chest deliver a blow to a massive robot that demolished the construct. Unlike his inspiration, the newest Superboy did not wear a cape, but his attire was more in line with the traditional garb of the family. People cheered loudly as Superboy touched down upon the wrecked machine, unleashing laser blasts to ensure the weaponry was fully taken care of. The scene changed to a heavyset man making comments concerning the encounter, and Jai quickly picked the game back up.

"What do you think? I mean, Superboy's got to be worth some major points. All the powers of Superman – and in a smaller package. Course, he's got nothing on Supergirl – much less Power Girl," Jai suggested.

"Amen," Colin agreed.

Damian scowled, his brow furrowing as he complained, "Yeah, but that whole Super family is a bunch of Boy Scouts. Always 'Truth this, American way that . . .' It just gets on my nerves."

"What doesn't?" Mari smiled.

"I can tell you what gets on my nerves more than most," he growled.

"Superboy is certainly an integral piece. However, he is easy to find. He has roots, a home. I'm afraid our next destination lies in a different direction," Tyson announced, drawing the stares of everybody in the room. "We must find Lyta, daughter of Ares, the God of War, and Circe, the Witch, before she can disappear again."

There was silence for a moment before Jai inquired, his voice shaking somewhat, "Did that cat just talk?"

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**Oh dear. Tyson's keeping secrets. Deep, dark secrets. We hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry if it's a bit raw, we kind of wanted to put this out before we went to bed.**

**The other week, Damian Wayne died in the comics. Let's all talk a small moment to mourn the lil' bastard . . .**

**All right, that's done with. Don't worry, we won't be killing him here.**

** I Be Sporks: We hope the Wests were up to snuff. We hopes you enjoyed this.**

**Until next time, please review!**


	4. Old MacDonald Had a Farm

**We own the rights to nothing of this story.**

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"So this Lyta chick. She's supposed to be the daughter of Circe and Ares, right?" Abuse asked, lounging in the back seat of the Batplane. There was marginally more room in the cockpit with Ty abandoning the enclosed space to lead them onward, adopting a form that looked a bit too much like a dragon to totally be a pterodactyl. Beneath them, Iris raced across the water, outfitted in her friction suit, occasionally being forced to run laps on the surface to allow the others to catch up and stay above the water. Within the acquired aircraft, the three teenagers had taken turns in the changing booth built into it to switch into their heroing outfits. After Ty had made his announcement and some details had been hammered out, the five youths had set off to what Ty claimed was Lyta's last known position.

"That's what Ty said," Nightstar nodded. "Though that incredulity is really weird. Didn't you meet Diana at one of Mr. Wayne's parties?"

"Oh, trust me. I haven't forgotten that. And it's not that I don't believe in the stuff. It's just, and I'm not exactly big on all this Greek mythology, aren't the two of them pretty bad dudes?" he pointed out.

"Ares is more frequently portrayed as a warmongering coward than outright malicious in classical texts, and Circe has mixed interpretations. Though most of them are negative," Robin conceded. "Though I'll admit, I've never encountered either of them in real life."

"Thank you, En-psycho-pedia. I'm just not too eager on the whole picking up the daughter of probably malicious Greek deities," Abuse shrugged.

"How was your friend able to locate her?" Robin queried.

She shrugged, "I don't know. Probably through some magic or something. His mom is Dr. Fate, after all."

"I despise magic," grumbled the short boy.

Abuse grinned, "I don't know. I certainly don't mind Zantanna's magician outfit. Though I'm not sure Ty could pull it off."

"Probably not. If he had a choice, he'd wander around in nothing but a hood. I think that's at least half the reason he always turns into animals," she giggled as she dipped into a childhood memory.

"There's a story there, isn't there?" Abuse leaned forward, hovering over the golden girl's shoulder.

Before she could begin the tale, alarms within the ship began blaring as it gave a jolt, smacking Abuse's head against the glass ceiling. Robin's hands tightened about the joysticks as he attempted to seize control, but they refused to respond as it bucked again and dropped into a rapid descent, streaking towards a small, isolated island overflowing with vegetation. Abuse uttered an epithet as he braced himself while the hybrid pressed against the hatch, gritting her teeth. Tyson turned as the quiet whine of their craft suddenly sputtered, growing louder as they barreled downward. He broke from his path, powerful wings delivering him swiftly to the failing aircraft though his talons struggled to find a grip on the sleek design. Failing at that, he ducked beneath the ship, and his body grew as he sought to carry it, struggling under the weight to stay aloft. While his efforts managed to stall the deadly speed, it distracted him from the events unfolding below.

As Impulse neared the island, the water before her interrupted in a cascade as a large shark breached the surface, jaws aiming for her. She dodged away and directly into one of the waiting tentacles that had risen to encircle her, the suckers finding purchase on her suit. Blood pooled in the water and she gave a shriek as the small fang-like projections encircling the suction cups on the tentacle pierced through her skin. More limbs tangled about her even as she jerked away, trying to employ her super-speed to escape. No longer running, Impulse began to sink into the water, hastened by the dragging tentacles of the squid that bound her limbs with peculiar singularity.

Above her, Nightstar witnessed the struggle and pounded on the window before pushing through it and shooting into the sky. She darted under the ship and shouted, "Ty! Help Impulse! I'll handle the ship!"

His eyes darted downward, spotting the struggling girl, and his gaze flickered back to the alien princess before he gave a nod and peeled away. Nightstar swooped in to assume his place in slowing the ship's descent as his shape twisted into that of a mosasaurus though the wings remained. He flared them out, slowing his drop to where he could safely enter the water before they shriveled into his body. Terrifying fangs lining a maw nearly as long as the shark that had ambushed Impulse clamped down on the apex predator, tearing it apart with fearsome ease before Ty turned towards the squid. It had dragged its captive fully into the water and her cheeks puffed as she held her breath, still struggling to break free but growing weaker. A powerful tail pulsed and Ty's barrel body undulated as he shot towards the multi-limbed fiend, jaws snapping upon the limbs and severing them from its body. Turning sharply, he batted the disarmed animal away and then rose to the surface with the speedster on his back.

She gasped for breath as they breached and spent a minute spread eagle on the broad, pebbly back before jerking up and savagely tearing off the tentacles that still clung to her. The barbs tore at her skin but she found it surprisingly easy to remove the suction cups from her suit. Hissing, she pressed a hand to a particularly deep gash circling about her calf, but forced the pain down and turned her gaze towards the nearing island where she could see a dark plume of black smoke rising up, the crash site of the Batplane. Her ride suddenly lurched and she felt the spine beneath her rearranging itself with disquieting pops and cracks as the muscles rippled. Tree-trunk legs sprouted to the ocean floor, stirring up a storm in the sand and sending the sea life scattering. His neck stretched skyward and his face squished down as he took on the form of another prehistoric titan, a brachiosaur who calmly waded through the water.

He swung his head about, offering Impulse a new seat as he rumbled in a voice that sound like it rose from within Earth itself, "Are you badly hurt?"

"Nothing major," she shrugged as she pulled herself atop his snout. "Most of it should heal in a couple of minutes."

"Advanced metabolism?"

"Yeppers," she nodded, hands still clasped about her leg as his head returned to its full height. "What the heck was McGrabby back there? Who decided that giving a squid knives in its tentacles was a good idea?"

"Wounds suggest _Dosdicus gigas._ Humboldt squid. Likely called and enhanced as a guardian by Lyta. They're usually deeper," he explained.

"Frea-key," she enunciated. "Thanks for the save, Ty. Are the others all right?"

"Mar'i slowed the descent of the ship, but it does not appear the landing was gentle. I'm using the eyes of a hawk, but I don't see any of them about the ship. There are tracks leading into the jungle, suggesting Abuse and Robin are fine as well."

She gave an appreciative whistle as she leaned back, propping herself up on her arms and repressing a wince, "Wow. That's pretty wild. What else can you see?"

"There's a fiddler crab on the beach ranting on the ship that crashed into a home it was scouting."

"You're joking," she accused.

"Nope."

"Again, wow," she sighed as she scooted back and leaned against the crest of the sauropod's head, folding her hands over her taut stomach. She jutted out her lower lip and tilted her head before asking, "Hey, what's your codename anyway? Like, I know goldy's called Nightstar, Robin's of course Robin, I'm Impulse. What do you call yourself?"

"Ty."

"That's just a shortening of your name. You can't use that. Ooh, waitaminnitwaitaminnit. You've got magic and you turn into animals, right? So what about Arcanimal? Cause, you know, it's 'arcane' and 'animal' mashed together."

"Creative portmanteau aside, no."

"What about Feral?"

"No."

She resituated herself so that she was seated upon the tip of his snout and facing his eyes, which retained the appearance of a raptor though with his characteristic crimson. She frowned, "Crow?"

"Where did you get that from?"

"I didn't remember it at first, but we did meet once when we were kids. Well, not officially. There was this whole big Titans' reunion and you were there, clinging to your mom's cloak, and I was just running around the whole time. But I remember you. Anyway, I figured that something kind of in line with your mom's name might be cool."

"I do remember a blur at that party. And no."

"Beast Boy."

"I'm not taking a legacy name," he declared.

". . . Boy Beast?"

"Please stop."

She paused for a moment, gnawing on her lips before her eyes lit up and she drew in a deep breath before rushing, "FeralMorphlingSuperHoodieMythMenagerieCreatureFea tureChangelingDarkBeastMysticFangface . . ."

"You said that already, no, no, no, no, absolutely not, I said no legacy names, no, no, no, and we're here," he intoned evenly as his foot collided with the jagged rocks mixing with the pearly sand. He lowered his head to a dry rock that rose above the others, allowing Impulse to disembark before there were the typical disconcerting noises as his body remodeled itself. The redhead failed to suppress her wince and made several hisses before he joined her in his human form atop the short crest, drawing his hood up as he did so.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

He diverted his gaze and shrugged, "N-n-n-n-no m-more th-than you'd th-th-think. P-pl-please hold s-still."

"Why? What are you gonna do?"

In place of a verbal answer, he pressed one hand to a glowing glyph upon his armor and another to the shoulder of her suit. Whispers that she couldn't make out tumbled from his lips and she watched in wonderment as her suit repaired itself, covering the already mostly healed scars. After a moment, her suit was fully restored and he retracted his limbs and raised his head to find himself being subjected to a shining pair of emerald eyes behind yellow goggles.

"Thatwasawesomehowdyoudothatohwaitduhyouvegotmagic stillthatwasridiculouslycoolandijustcameupwithanaw esomenameforyou. You're Wyld!" she suddenly cheered. "Withaybecausethatmakesitseemmoremysticalandstuffa wesomeright?"

He blinked at the shorter girl, obviously bewildered, and for a second, she was reminded of a timid rabbit that lived in her backyard. It would quake and quail at her excitement before bolting, but she had trained it with carrots and other little rewards, slowly earning its trust. Taking a steadying breath, she clasped her hands behind her back and offered a gentle grin, "Sorry. My dad isn't exactly eager for me to go into the superhero business, so I tend to get overexcited about things related to it."

He hesitated for a moment before nodding, "I-i-it's f-fine."

"But I'm still calling you Wyld," she smirked and he sighed.

"A-anyway I c-c-c-can con-convince you otherw-wise?"

"Nope," she threw a companionable arm about his neck, bringing him closer to her height, and waving her hand across their field of vision. "Just think about how awesome that would look in the headlines. 'New Teen Titans – Impulse, Nightstar, Abuse, Robin, and Wyld – Save the Day!'"

"S-s-s-s-s-seems a b-bit long," he pointed out anxiously, placing a hand on her arm as he gently tried to tug free.

"I'm sure they'll work it out," she nodded confidently, still drifting in her delusions. Ty gave a soft cough, and when she failed to slacken her hold, there was a soft series of cracks before he easily pulled his head from her arm. He stretched his jaw as he restored his face to its usual state and she finally looked up and asked, "So, _Wyld_, what do we do now?"

He fidgeted under her gaze, glancing away before suggesting, "Ah, ch-check the wreck."

"Aye-aye, _mon capitaine_!" she saluted before jetting off from the rock. Before he could even begin to follow, she had returned, "Theyreallgoneididntseeanybloodsoidontthinkanyofth emarehurtbutthatshipistotalledbatmanisgoingtobesoo ooooopissed."

His gaze turned to the forest and he grimaced, "L-l-lyta h-has likely f-f-f-found th-them."

"So how do we find her?"

In answer, he leapt from the rock and underwent a shift in the air, landing upon all fours as a massive canine was too mixed for a particular species to be determined. A growl emerged from his fanged maw, "I can smell her."

"Eew," she stuck out her tongue before blurring forward and halting at the base of the large creature's neck, dangling her feet on either side as she grinned. "I call shotgun."

With a roll of his crimson eyes, Ty bolted into the woods, tracking the scent that smelled vaguely human with a hint of something more and not entirely natural. There were no paths to follow and trees pressed in thick from all sides, choking out any other plant life and the sound, but the shape shifter seemed to slither through them with unnatural grace. His familiarity with such terrain was evident, but the environment unsettled his passenger and she sought to fill the silence with chatter until he admitted that he needed to concentrate. She fell silent and went back to studying her surroundings, noting how shadows seemed to latch onto the ashen-green fur of her mount. Any time he stood still, it seemed like he started to melt into them before he tore away, darting through the dense foliage.

Roots thicker than the powerful limbs of the canid twisted about upon the forest floor, waging a slow war against each other for dominance. Sparse light made it through the rare gaps in the canopy, dappling the dark ground and never enough for a new plant to grow in. Besides the trees, only the parasites that plunged their ropy tendrils into their system could bloom, creating flashes of bright color amongst the dull browns and greens, belying their cruel nature. Above them, there would be an occasional rustle of leaves or a similar sound that drew Impulse's gaze upwards, but she never caught sight of the perpetrator and it ultimately only put her more on edge. The tension that had seized her body released when she finally saw the trees thinning ahead, allowing light to pass through, and she let out a small sigh just before they emerged.

The pair found themselves upon another beach with sand as white as untouched snow and surrounded by trees. A small lake lapped at the shore, its crystalline waters attesting to its purity. Upon the beach lounged a veritable menagerie, composed of cows, tigers, a crocodile, several monkeys, a number of pigs, and a variety of other fauna who intermingled casually. Sharp chirping drew Impulse's attention to a robin, its red breast speckled with black spots, which seemed to be berating her while Ty's attention was fixed upon the girl occupying the beach chair that had its forward legs set in the water where her bare feet also dangled.

The curvaceous girl was attired in a single-piece, green bikini that left her shoulders bared aside from the vibrant purple hair that cascaded down upon them. Large shades covered her eyes and the cords of her earphones traveled down to the device seated upon her taut abdomen. She bobbed her head and splashed a foot in the water as she softly sang along to her music, her arms laid along the rests of her throne. Her wrists, along with her ankles, were decorated with numerous bracelets of a variety of compositions and designs that jangled with her movements. As Ty padded forward, she paused and frowned before sitting up slightly and peering over her sunglasses at the massive creature.

"I don't remember making you," she mused before her gaze flickered to the girl perched atop him. "Or inviting you. What are you doing here?"

"We were searching for you, Hippolyta Milton-Buchannan," Ty answered.

She scoffed as she settled back against her chair, "Am I supposed to be impressed that you can talk? Or that you know my full name? By the way, unless you want to get shaved, it's Lyta. And just in case it wasn't clear, you're pretty low on the interesting scale of daddy's agents."

"We are not affiliated with your father," growled the canine as Impulse watched the robin flit about before it alighted upon her shoulder. It ignored her bright smile and seemed to pout as it turned away from her, glaring at the ground as Ty continued, "My name is -"

"Wyld! And I'm Impulse," interjected the girl upon his back. She set her fists on her hips and puffed out her modest chest as she declared, "We're the new Teen Titans. Well, two of them. We're going to save the world."

Lyta arched a brow before settling back against her chair with a sigh, "Whatever."

The shape shifter gave a growl within his throat before lowering himself to the ground. Impulse slid off and saw a large bull and a sleek panther break from the crowd of animals and amble towards her as her robin waved a wing and issued several chirps. Ty continued, "There is a threat coming. To survive it, the next generation of heroes must band together."

"Whoop-dee-doo," she returned, rolling her eyes behind her shades. "Hey, how about you show me who you really are, and then we can start talking, yeah?"

Another growl rumbled from the canine's throat, but was soon overwhelmed by the noisy sounds of Ty's transformations. Standing, he shook his head and drew closer to the young sorceress as she pursed her lips and regarded him appraisingly before nodding.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. Why don't we keep the hood down?" she gave a smile as he reached for his usual shelter. He hesitated before dropping his hand and frowning while she plucked out her ear buds and tucked them along with her phone into a cupholder of the chair. Swinging her long legs to the side, she grunted before pushing herself up, and walked in a circle about Ty, continuing her study. As she wheeled about him, she mused, "Turning you into an animal wouldn't do any good, would it?"

"Unlikely," he acknowledged.

"I wonder what I'd turn you into if I could. Probably something really exotic."

"M-m-may we continue w-w-wi-with the e-earlier con-conversation?" he requested.

Lyta frowned and sighed before striding away with a measured gait that rolled her broad hips as she waved a hand in the air. A table sprang into existence, laden with a mass of foods, and the animals immediately began to crowd around, rising up to feed.

"How about we eat first?" she suggested.

"Yesplease!" Impulse zoomed towards the table, accidentally leaving the adolescent robin spinning wildly before it managed to catch itself and flap to the curved horns of the bull, where it delivered a shrill rant.

"N-n-n-not h-hungry," answered the ashen green boy as he followed after Lyta, focused upon the task at hand. "P-p-p-pl-please join the T-teen Titans. W-we n-n-need you."

"Yeah, that's nice and all," she shrugged as she bit into a plump peach, the juices running down her chin, "But I'm pretty happy right here. See, my mom? She ditched me with the Amazons. Just abandoned me. And then daddy dearest invaded and decided to turn me into his little servitor-slash-weapon upon Earth. Let me tell you, that was a whole barrel of fun."

"I-I-I underst-stand th-that you d-d-d-don't want t-to-"

"You know, let me stop you there," she snarled abruptly, throwing the unfinished plum upon the sand and the animals growled with the change in her mood, their eyes all turning upon Ty. "You don't understand anything about me. You don't know what it's like to constantly be on the run. To be tossed aside by the one organism in the world who is biologically programmed to love you. To be used by the man who is supposed to care for and protect you. To have him said hunting party after hunting party with the instructions that if they can't capture you, they need to kill you. So, unless you _really_ want to piss me off, you should probably leave. Alone."

He glanced backward to see that a lithe cheetah now stood in Impulse's place, her paws upon the table and he grimaced as he turned back towards the demigoddess and took another step forward. Slowly, he brought up a hand and she arched a brow at it as he asked, "Th-then let me u-u-understand."

She scoffed, "How?"

"P-p-pl-please ta-take m-m-my hand."

Studying him suspiciously, she glanced back to the proffered digits before clasping it, avoiding his talons. Ty drew in a breath through his nose as he was submerged in her emotions. He dove through them, finding the immense loneliness that she buried with the presence of her 'pets,' and a deep sadness that threatened to drown him. Staying as long as he dared, he turned to find a surprising well of affection for the creatures she had gathered about her, their ranks composed of agents of her father that she had turned as well as regular animals she had taken in and rescued from unfortunate circumstances. There was anger surging within her, a steady stream that she typically kept blocked, but ready to unleash upon any who earned her ire. Other emotions, too many to name, washed over him before he broke contact and stumbled away, dragging in ragged breaths as she looked on in shock.

"You have empathy," she accused.

"W-w-weak. Needs c-contact o-o-o-or famil-familarity," he admitted, rasping as the scent of brimstone filled his nostrils and he felt something unbidden strain against his skin. He clenched his eyelids shut and banished them both before standing and stating, "Father lost h-h-his family y-young, b-b-b-but found a n-new one amongst the Titans. W-w-we are o-off-offering you that."

Pausing for a second, he gave slight tilt of his head and a small smile, "Th-that, a-and a-a-a chance to s-s-save the w-world. Th-th-though, if you still won't j-j-j-join, c-could you t-t-turn my f-f-friends b-b-back? I-I-I d-don't wa-want to e-e-explain t-to their p-p-p-parents why their k-kids are d-different species."

Regarding him for a second, she gave a chuckle before removing her sunglasses and clipping them in the top of her swimsuit, revealing bright amethyst eyes that her smile reached. She set her hands on her broad hips and nodded, "All right, Wyld. I'll help you guys out. But if it looks like things aren't going the way you promised, I'm gone. That clear?"

"C-cry-crystal. But m-my name isn't W-w-w-wyld."

His protest went unheeded as she turned her gaze towards the table and snapped her fingers. It abruptly disappeared, and there was a pair of shouts followed by a thud and Ty turned to see Abuse splayed out upon the ground, Robin atop of him. Impulse glanced about, seemingly more concerned with the sudden disappearance of the food, as Nightstar leaned over, holding back her hair as she coughed.

"I think I have a hairball," she wheezed. Robin shook his head before snarling and leaping into the air, batarangs flashing towards Lyta as he drew his staff. The trio of weapons impacted with the pebbly hide of a styracosaurus that shielded the sorceress who blinked with some surprise.

"You can turn into dinosaurs?" she whispered excitedly, her eyes lighting up.

"She turned me into a bird. All I want is one batarang. Just one," Robin seethed as he stared at the behemoth before him.

The stegosaurus managed to express confusion, "Why are you bothered about being turned into an avian? Personal flight is a wonder I think everybody should be able to experience."

"Yeah, see, I personally like having the right number of limbs all in the right place," Abuse groaned as he pushed himself from the ground. Nightstar moved next to him and rose into the air, plucking several hairs from her mouth, and Impulse sighed at the loss of her feast before zooming atop the stegosaurus, seating herself between its plates.

"Look, for what it's worth, I thought my dad sent you guys. I'm really sorry about what I did," Lyta called from the other side of the saurian.

Impulse peered down at her with a scowl, "You knew I wasn't!"

She gave a shrug and an abashed chuckle, "I was kinda on a roll. Nothing personal. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Hmmph," pouted the redhead, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her gaze elsewhere. She gave a yelp as her mount began to shrink and she bounded off before the form of a housecat took the dinosaur's place. He stretched as he began to make introductions.

"Lyta, meet Robin, Abuse, and Ma – Nightstar. Everybody, this is Hip – 'Lyta' Milton-Buchannan. The newest member of the Teen Titans."

"Hold up. Let me change," she interrupted. A violet hoop glowed about her abdomen, splitting into two that traveled in different directions along her body, altering her attire as they did so. Covering her body was a close-fitting, purple suit fitted with numerous armored pads along its front and limbs. Two belts of pouches were slung about her waist, connecting in a central buckle and forming an 'X.' Sturdy boots melded into the outfit that was best summarized as a cross between a catsuit and body armor, showing off and protecting her assets. Her sunglasses were perched atop her head and the she slid them down to cover her gem-like eyes.

"All right. Good to go," she nodded.

"Excellent. Now let's return to the Batplane before father realizes that it is trashed, and I am grounded for the next millennia," Robin grumbled.

* * *

**And then there were six. A little bit of Ty's heritage was revealed and more will be next chapter if you haven't already figured it out. We're probably going to increase our work on this story, and will be pushing out chapters more regularly. So, please, read, enjoy, and review.**

**Please excuse us if we make Damian something of a butt-monkey. We accept that he is highly skilled and ridiculously well-trained. We just aren't a huge fan of the character and we're hoping that it is not evident in our writing. We're trying not to let it be.**

**I Be Sporks: We figured it would be easier to respond to you here for now. Of course, Damian is the grandson of Ra's al Ghul, and it's comics, so for how long he'll stay dead remains to be seen. We hope our portrayal of Iris continued to be enjoyable. And maybe Lyta will do backflips in her next appearance. But, as noted, she's the daughter of Ares and Circe. And another canon character. Score. We're glad you like Tyson. And, yeah. His secret is going to come around and bite him in the ass.**


	5. Wise Men of Gotham

**We own the rights to nothing of this story.**

* * *

After the original Titans had turned to tending to their own lives, the drive behind continuing the Teen Titans faltered. Some tried to keep it alive, seeing the value of a group to teach the metahuman youth about heroism, but they lacked the support and network the originals had possessed. The world had barely noticed the passing of the team as the former members matured and adopted new teams, went solo, or retired from such antics entirely. Their bases had been left untouched in memorial though stripped of much of the technology, not wanting to give others a chance to gain access to some of the security systems. They were kept locked and shut down, but access codes could easily bring everything back online. For over a decade, the 'T' overlooking Jump City had laid dormant, but as new youths tread through its hallways and entered the codes, the generators had whirred back to life and the systems awoke from their slumber.

After completing their search of Titans Tower and assuring that the Batplane was beyond salvage, the newest residents of the superhero domicile gathered in the main room. Lyta had provided them with the transportation, taking them all through a violet portal after Ty had provided her with the coordinates. Despite her acceptance as a member of the team, she had been reluctant in leaving her island and animal companions, taking several minutes to bid them all personal farewells. The shape shifter had disappeared shortly after entering the codes to bring the tower online, somehow managing to evade all of them as they scoured the halls and rooms. Impulse flashed in and out of the room, too excited to stay still and exploring every nook and cranny of the building as she debated which room to claim as her own. Robin stood at one of the computer consoles, furiously typing away as he reviewed the security systems of the base. Admiring the shimmering sea and the sinking sun, Lyta stood posted at the window. Mar'i and Colin had traded their costumes for the civvies they had stored aboard the Batplane, and were focused on rooting through the couch, searching for the remote to activate the massive television hanging before them.

"So I think that that whole crash might have reactivated my claustrophobia," admitted the lanky boy off-handedly.

"Does this mean I'm going to have to start carrying you everywhere again?" she leveled a stern gaze at him.

He shrugged, "Eh. Unless you think Ty -"

"Wyld," Impulse corrected as she zoomed past, exiting out the next door.

"Unless you think Wyld wouldn't mind carrying me," he emended.

A short bark of laughter escaped her lips and she shook her head, "Yeah, it took him a year to just get used to me. Good luck with that."

"You're the one who knows him, right? How'd you guys even meet?" Lyta asked as she hopped over the back of the couch and crashed onto one of the cushions they had already searched. She laid her arms along the back and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"Well, my parents are two of the original Teen Titans, Starfire and Nightwing. Ty's mom and dad are two more, Raven and Gar Logan. They brought him over a lot for us to play as kids."

Colin paused in his search and stood up, tilting his head at the obsidian-haired girl, "Wait, if he's Changeling's kid, doesn't that make him-"

"Prince Tyson Logan of Upper Lamumba and a circle of Hell that's name even I can't pronounce. Oh, he's also the first heir to Dayton Industries," Mar'i confirmed with a smirk.

Lyta gave a low whistle as Colin digested the revelation before turning and calling up to Robin, "I think he's got you beat."

"Who's got who beat? What did I miss?" Impulse paused in her mad dash as she glanced at the occupants of the room.

"Apparently, Wyld's a prince," her fellow redhead informed her.

She considered it for a second before her eyes widened, "Ohmygoshhetotallyisididnteventhinkaboutthat!"

"Okay, you seriously need to stop that. None of us can understand what you're saying," he demanded and she scowled back at him as she set her hands on her hips.

"Wyld can," she retorted.

"That's because I am used to near sensory overload. And my name's not Wyld," the burly tiger grumbled as he padded into the room. There was a lull as everybody fell silent and a number of looks were exchanged between Colin, Lyta, and Impulse before mirror diabolical grins stretched across their faces. The former swept into a grandiose bow while the latter pair mimed curtsies and intoned in unison.

"Your highness."

He blinked before snapping his crimson gaze towards Mar'i who hummed to herself, pretending to be oblivious to the situation as he growled plaintively, "Why did you tell them?"

"I'm sorry. Was it supposed to be a secret?"

"I have enough trouble relating to people as it is."

"Which isn't helped by always being some sort of animal."

"We're all some sort of ani-"

"Don't start with that," she snapped.

"Sorry," he apologized before his spine shortened, drawing him in a bipedal stance and he emerged into his human form. He drew up his hood but then held out his hands, presenting himself, "B-better?"

"Getting there. Thank you," she beamed. "Now come over here and see if you can sniff out the remote."

As he moved forward, there was a low rumble that reverberated through the windows and they all glanced out to see a dark ship, a twin to the downed craft outside the Tower. Robin grimaced as he closed out the computer, "Father's here."

"Yeah, if you guys need me, I'm going to be barricading myself in the panic room. This place has a panic room, right?" he turned to Impulse who shrugged.

"It looked like one. Towards the bottom. It has a whole bunch of weird symbols on it, like Wyld's armor."

The soft-spoken boy winced, "My n-name isn't W-w-w-wy-wyld."

"Father is going to want to see you as well, Colin," Robin called from the door. The tall boy's shoulders slumped before he clambered over the couch and followed after his friend. Mar'i hesitated for an instant before lifting off and flying towards them, suspecting that Batman had not come alone while Impulse turned to Ty and gave a broad grin.

"I'm gonna touch Batman's cape."

She disappeared with a slightly manic chuckle, leaving the two mystics in the room though Lyta showed no signs of moving after having settled back upon the couch. With a snap of her fingers, the remote appeared in her grip and she turned on the television, surfing the channels for something that caught her attention. Ty took a moment to take several steadying breaths before taking the door that the others had already passed through. By the time he reached the roof, Batman had disembarked and, per Mar'i's suspicions, Nightwing was accompanying him. The Flash also stood alongside his fellow fathers, and Impulse stood alongside the adolescents, grinning innocently. Even with his years of adventuring, Batman stood tall and broad-shouldered, refusing to bow to age though his suit was thicker, containing equipment to enhance his physical capabilities. Nightwing was lean and athletic as ever, the black suit with the red marks fitting to his muscular frame as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave a stare that had his daughter dropping her head, pulling at her fingers.

Predictably, the Dark Knight was the first to speak, "Would somebody please explain what happened to my Batplane?"

"Why are you guys on Titans' Island?" Nightwing added.

"And what the heck happened to the bathroom sink?" Flash finished up, earning the gaze of his peers to which he gave a watery smile. "Hey, Linda told me that was the priority question here."

"We left a message," Colin volunteered, but quickly backed away as the detective's stern countenance swung towards him, allowing Robin to take the forefront.

"We needed it to accomplish our mission. Unfortunately, it reacted poorly to . . . some magic and we were unable to save it," he reported flatly. "In response to Grayson's question, we're restarting the Teen Titans and required a base of operations."

"And what about my sink?" Flash demanded sternly, folding his arms over his chest again.

Robin glowered at his elder, "I was never in your bathroom. I wouldn't know."

Taking a deep breath, Nightwing massaged in gentle circles upon his temple and asked, "What in the world prompted you four to decide to reform the Titans?"

"Actually th-that'd be m-m-me, Mr. Grayson," Ty moved from the shadows to stand next to Robin, fidgeting under the gazes turned upon him. He stiffened as Impulse reached up to throw a companionable arm about his shoulder, standing on the tips of her toes to do so.

"Wyld says that we need to have the Titans or else the world is doomed," she grinned eagerly at the prospect.

"Ty?" Nightwing arched a brow at the anxious boy.

"Wyld," Impulse countered.

"There's a thr-threat c-c-c-coming a-and when it f-f-finally a-a-a-arri-arri-"

He interrupted himself, slipping from his comrade's grip and rearranging his body into the form of a massive serpent, drawing several flinches from the Flash, Impulse, and Colin. Perching on his coils, he reared his head up and looked the adults in the eyes as he continued, "Your generation will be too old to posssssse a challenge to thisssss threat. Therefore, we mussssst unite to do ssssssooo."

"What sort of threat?" Batman demanded.

"My information issss limited. I know merely the magnitude and conditionssssss," he admitted.

"Where did you get your information?" pressed the senior hero.

"Doomsday prophecies run in the family," commented a dry voice from behind them. Eyes slid towards a shapely woman floating out of a the silhouette of a large bird flecked with gold, shadows obscuring most of her face save for the full lips and the shine of amethyst eyes. A golden cloak hid her form, glimpsed only briefly as it was rustled by the wind, revealing the indigo leotard that molded to her curvaceous frame. There was a red and black blur that hurtled out of the portal from behind her to latch onto Ty who returned to his humanoid form just in time to catch the small girl as she bowled him over.

Slim arms matching his skin's hue were slung about his neck though her hair was darker, somewhere between green and black. An ebony dress descended to her knees and was complimented by a scarlet mantle that's hood was left down, revealing the youthful face that still carried some baby fat. Her emerald eyes were bright and her smile tiny, interrupted by a single fang poking down from her upper lip, and it scraped against Ty's cheek as she pressed a kiss there. There was a slight point to her ears, but it was not as pronounced as it was with her brother.

Smiles came to the faces of Nightwing and Flash and both converged upon the woman who returned their expressions though considerably more subdued. Naturally, the man fully in red reached her first and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Raven! Is it good to see you. How've you been?"

"I have been well, Wallace," she nodded, giving him a light hug before he released her and Nightwing stepped forward. "Garfield sends his regards. There was a dispute he had to settle."

The former protégé of Batman smiled uneasily, "He's not going to turn himself into an army again, is he?"

"Farmers are arguing over the boundaries between their properties. However, given his tendency towards theatrics, I can make no promises."

As she stepped next to Batman, he gave a slight inclination of his head, "Dr. Fate."

"Batman," she returned cordially before drifting towards her son who had stood, his sister still firmly holding his neck. Raven leaned down to press a kiss to her son's forehead who proceeded to capture her in a hug, squeezing the girl in between them who gave a tiny squeal before they broke apart. She gave a sigh, "Tyson, you are aware that you can't make the claim that you didn't hear us when we told you to inform us before setting off on any ventures?"

He scratched the back of his head abashedly, "I, ah, I had to hurry before I lost track of one our members."

"I presume that you're speaking of Hippolyta?" she folded her arms over her considerable bosom. "The girl is powerful, but finding her is not as arduous a task as you make it sound."

"N-no," he nodded his head. "B-but that's only part of the reason. Y-you and d-d-dad were kinda, sorta, um . . . b-busy when I left."

"Oh, I see. You spontaneously lost the ability to write and leave notes," she returned evenly.

"I didn't, uh, I didn't think of that," he bowed his head and she rolled her eyes.

"Ferak requested that we let her find you. You are fortunate that it was easier for me to do so."

His eyes widened and his sickly green skin turned paler as his sister snickered and crawled up to perch atop his shoulders. From her superior positioning, she glanced back to glower at Mar'i who returned the unfriendly stare of the child. Impulse leaned in to ask, "Um, who's Ferak?"

"Tyson's bodyguard. She does not appreciate being eluded," answered the grey woman with a soft smirk.

"Mommy, can I join the Teen Titans?" asked the young girl atop Ty's shoulders, interrupting her heated staring contest with Mar'i.

"Of course," she nodded. "As soon as you qualify for being a teen."

"No fair," she pouted before Batman interceded.

"What do you know of this threat your son is talking about?"

Raven cast a glance towards her son and then met the taller man's gaze, "I have not received any visions regarding it, but if he says that it is coming, I do not doubt him. I will lend what support I can to the forming of his team, and I advise that you do the same."

Her gaze focused on Nightwing and the Flash as she recalled, "After all, some of us should remember how we reacted to being told to leave the heroism to the adults. If you think for a second that these kids lack any of your determination or rebellion, then you're welcome to test them. I, however, have nearly concluded my business here."

She turned and a golden outline coupled with black specks surrounded her daughter, lifting her from Ty's shoulders and returning her into the toned arms of the sorceress. Leaning forward, she gave Ty another kiss atop his head, and was copied by her daughter, before instructing, "Do not sequester yourself away. And remember that we love you, and to contact us regularly."

"Yes, mom. Love you too," he grinned before looking to his sister. "Love you, Lili."

"Love ya," she waved as a raven-shaped portal rose up behind them. Raven gave a nod to her friends and former teammates, and then stepped through her passageway, closing it behind her. The remaining parents shared glances before the Flash sighed and turned to Impulse.

"Okay, fine. You can join the Titans -"

"Yesyesyesyesthankyouthankyouthankyouhaveitoldyoui lovedyoulatelyyourethebestdadever!" she slammed into him, wrapping her arms about his waist.

"Hold it. Not done yet," he patted her on the shoulder and peeled her off. "No stupid risks. And if you get yourself hurt, you take a brake until you're healed. You disobey, you're coming back home right away; you got it?"

"Yeppers," she nodded, vibrating with energy that the edges of her form began to blur. Her father sighed and lifted his hand from her shoulder, and she gave a whooping cry before racing over the roof and down the side of the tower. Cheering drifted up to them as she raced about the island, and the Flash sighed before darting after her to continue his rules. Nightwing took the chance to step forward and Mar'i took a breath as she smiled up at her father.

"I've let you operate as a hero for years. Honestly, I'm more peeved about you running out like that than forming the Teen Titans. So just remember the usual rules. And what's number one?"

"No boys. Ever," she rolled her eyes.

"That's right," he nodded, lifting his gaze to the three males behind her, only Robin daring to meet his gaze. "No boys. Now give me a hug."

She smiled and complied as Robin and Batman faced each other. The latter hesitated for a moment, making an almost imperceptible movement towards his protégé before pulling back and giving a solemn nod, "Keep up on your training. I believe in you."

"Thank you, fa – Batman," the typically surly boy beamed and seemed to grow taller under the slight praise. Colin's attempt to duck away was foiled as the white lenses of Batman's cowl turned to him and he added.

"Colin, stay safe. We'll be checking in regularly."

"G-got it, sir," he gave an uneasy smile. Batman regarded the youths again before turning to the Batplane and leaping aboard, followed shortly by Nightwing. He activated the controls and as the hatch closed, he gave a final statement.

"We'll be taking my other Batplane."

In typical Bat-fashion, the craft lifted off with impressive silence and swooped over the edge, dropping down to deploy cables to gather its twin before lifting high into the sky. For a moment, none of the young heroes moved before Colin released a breath and clapped his hands together, "Well, I think that went well."

"Oh, definitely," Mar'i nodded before looking to Ty. "I see Lilith's still my biggest fan."

"My s-sister is . . . prickly," he shrugged. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine," she sighed. "So what's next?"

"Grocery shopping. That fridge is absolutely barren," Colin suggested.

"Seconded!" Impulse hollered as she returned to the youth, her father racing off across the water, left behind by the Gothamites.

"Oh, good. All the fogies are gone," Lyta noted as she emerged onto the roof, appearing in civilian attire with her customary shades. A white and grey striped shirt with a deep neckline hung loosely off her frame and she wore violet shorts that matched her hair. Sandals were fitted upon her feet and she had jammed a straw hat with a black band about it atop her thick hair.

"We're going for groceries. You coming along?" asked the lanky redhead as Impulse shot for the open door, disappearing down the stairs. Lyta almost lost her hat in the tailwind, but managed to capture it, pushing it down upon her head as she considered the offer. Apprehension played across her features before she nodded.

"Sure. But do any of you actually have any money? Unless I'm still allowed to enchant people into giving me stuff . . ."

"No," Mari confirmed, killing the demigoddess's hopeful expression as Iris flashed back onto the roof in her civilian attire.

"We should also probably grab some clothes. These are going to get real grody if I keep wearing them," noted the speedster.

"I have more than enough funds to handle groceries. But I'm not buying anybody any clothes," Robin stipulated.

"You sure, handsome?" Lyta purred.

"Yes," he returned flatly before striding past her towards the door to go change.

Mar'i chuckled, "Glad we've got a plan."

"I sh-shall see you u-u-upon your r-r-r-r-return. Th-there is b-b-b-bus-business I must a-attend to," Ty opted out, distancing himself from the group and causing the golden girl to frown.

"What sort of business? Can I tag along?"

He took a sudden interest in his bared feet as he muttered, "J-j-j-j-just d-d-dinner. C-catching. I-it's b-b-b-b-bet-better I-I-I'm a-alone."

Before any response could be offered, feathers pushed their way through the skin on his arms as they extended, growing into powerful wings. Diving over the edge, he caught a thermal and shot skyward, angling towards the dense forestry that surrounded the concrete jungle. Lyta arched a brow at his abrupt departure while Iris looked on with a bright gaze.

"Friendly sort, isn't he?" mused the former.

"See, doesn't Wyld completely suit him? Because that right there was absolutely _wild_," giggled the second, earning a groan from Colin as he turned towards the door.

"You know, I can dig the name, but I think I prefer you going all motormouth over making puns."

"That's because you have a horrible sense of humor," she retorted.

"I have a _great_ sense of humor. That's why -"

Their conversation as the door closed shut behind them, leaving Mar'i to stay worriedly after the rapidly dwindling speck. She had known Ty since before she could form full sentences, but even with regular visits and continual communication, he kept himself at a distance. He had always been there for her to vent and offered surprisingly insightful advice, but he never shared anything about himself he did not have to. Past attempts at drawing him out had only resulted in him retreating deeper into his shell, a description that wasn't always figurative. That worry dissuaded her from following after him, and pushed her to head after the others into the interior of the tower.

* * *

The times that Ty didn't wish he could tear his doubt and anxiety from his body were few and far between, but it was rare that the desire was so fervent as when he alighted upon a stout branch after leaving the freshly formed Teen Titans atop the roof of their new abode. Taking a moment to berate himself for his retreat, he was interrupted by the callous growl of his stomach, having no patience for his self-pity. Molding his limbs back into their usual shape, he sniffed the air and sorted through the medley of smells that filled the forest. He identified axis dear, black bears, great horned owls, and the persistent stench of humans amongst the mix beforehis stomach rumbled again, demanding that he begin the hunt.

His powerful legs fired him from the tree with enough force to carry him to the next one, and he traversed the canopy rapidly. Brush rabbits and similar woodland game ran for their warrens and whatever cover they could as they felt the presence of a predator, but he spared them no more then a cursory glance. It would require him to depopulate a considerable portion of the forest before a meal of them sated his appetite, and he had already found better prey. The strong scent of a tule elk filled his nostrils and his teeth automatically reverted into fangs, prompting a throbbing pain in his gums. All his senses sharpened and his talons lengthened, tearing through the bark of the branches he leapt across. As the trail grew more potent, he chose quieter routes, abandoning the height of the branches for the leafless, landing upon them lightly before springing to the next.

He had accompanied his father on hunting trips since he had first been able to control his ability to shape shift. As a cheetah, he had chased down Dorcas gazelle on the golden plains, proudly shown his first solo kill to his father before they had shared it. Upon the feathered wings of hawks, he had soared through the air to snatch up smaller birds, or if he desired a challenge, he adopted the shape of a harpy eagle and plunged into the treetops, pulling screaming monkeys from the branches. Occasionally, he'd take to the water, taking shape depending on the amount of room, and feast on anything from crayfish to sharks when he found himself in deeper waters. Regardless, he had been raised as a hunter and it was one of the few times he truly felt comfortable, a rare moment when his skin fit no matter what shape it covered.

Halting upon a new tree, he extended a long, scaled tail to wrap about it, securing himself as he spotted his meal. It was a large bull for its breed, standing near five feet tall at the shoulder with thick sienna fur and heavy antlers that would have made excellent trophies. Even with his silence, it paused in feeding upon a bush and looked up, instincts alerting it to a predator's presence. His fangs grew larger and his mouth changed to accommodate them, opening to unleash his long tongue that wavered about for a moment before lashing forward. The tip of his tongue swelled and impacted with enough force to stagger the elk, barbs piercing through its hide and pumping neurotoxins into it before it could bolt. As his tongue shrank back down and returned to his maw, his prey made an attempt at fleeing but his special blend of venom had it stumbling and crashing into the ground. He leapt from the tree, landing upon his hands and feet, and rearranging his bones and muscles to permit movement as a quadruped.

A hiss escaped from his mouth as he rose over his meal, proud of its attempt to flee, and offering a silent apology. Toxins always felt like cheating to him, but he was too hungry to put forth the full effort of a hunt and as the cervid made several final twitches, glassy eyes fixing upon its killer, his jaws stretched upon before snapping down upon its throat.

* * *

**What can we say, we're on a roll. In case anybody's wondering about this chapter's name, well, it fits with our nursery rhyme theme, an wise men know when to listen to the women of the world.**

**So, Ty demonstrated that, stutter and nervousness aside, he's a bit of a savage. Also, his parentage has been confirmed. In this chapter, we're not certain we captured the personas of the elder heroes. What did you think? Please let us know in a review.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	6. Once I Saw a Little Bird

**We own the rights to nothing of this story.**

* * *

In total honesty, Damian Wayne considered fighting difficult.

His movements demonstrated mastery, seamlessly flowing from one strike to the next and wielding inordinate power behind the blows. Therein did not lie his problem. His formative years had been spent amongst the League of Assassins, and when he wasn't learning how to survive, he was being taught how to maim and kill. Every attack was meant to break the a bone if not kill. It was only after he had joined his father's crusade that such behavior had been deemed forbidden, and he had to change his methods, restraining himself to keep his foes alive. In Gotham, he was regularly outnumbered, outsized, and outgunned by his foes, but faced them without hesitation or worry. To win, each strike was carefully measured and placed as he held back from performing any lethal attacks.

To him, fighting was hard, but killing was so very, very easy.

The heavy punching bag gave a swing with each of his rapid blows, its chain straining under the seemingly endless succession as he circled, launching the assault from every conceivable angle. Even with the flurry of movement, his actions were controlled and a sheen of sweat had built up on his skin, soaking the muscle shirt he wore. It was before dawn, the day after he had taken up residence in Titans Tower with his new team though he hesitated to call them that. He could trust Colin and Mar'i not to hinder, possibly even assist, him but he held reservations in regard to the others. Iris was raw, untrained, and seemed more caught up in the idea of being a superhero than knowing how to do so. However, her speed was formidable and with his instruction, she could prove formidable. Ty was harder to read than he cared to admit, largely due to the miniscule changes that constantly flooded his form. His bones would lengthen or shorten unnecessarily, strands of muscles rearranged themselves as though restless, and his skin would abruptly stretch and ripple, all without him changing species. Lyta carried herself with a sense that suggested capabilities hidden by her vapid disposition and reliance upon magic that he wished to test.

He did not cease as he heard the door to the gymnasium slide open, but he did glance up to see Mar'i enter, attired in her uniform. Standing just inside the doorway, she took a moment to examine the workout equipment, most covered in a thin layer of dust from years of disuse. Complete with her study, she drifted further into the room, offering him a nod and smile, a courtesy he returned with a grunt, and onto the mats set towards the back of the room. She began stretching, demonstrating impressive flexibility that he noted empirically. The elder Grayson had raised her in a manner similar to his own, instructing her in acrobatics before showing her how to apply those lessons to combat, and coupled with the strength and other capabilities she had inherited from her mother, it made for a skilled opponent and sparring partner. As the thought struck him, she seemed to read his mind and called over, "You want to go a round?"

"As long as you can provide a challenge," he returned, finally ceasing the barrage upon the sturdy bag, letting it sway and creak on its tired chain.

"I'm guessing you want no gloves?" she rolled her eyes.

"Train how you fight," he recalled one of his father's many lessons as he stepped into the ring across from her. She slipped into a defensive stance and he took the chance to admire the position that left little openings and gave her numerous methods of striking. As he launched himself forward, she swept to the side, dodging his kick and delivering her own that he evaded by dropping to the ground and sweeping her other leg out from under her. His fist smashed into the ground, catching the fleeting strands of her hair as she rolled out of the way and back onto her feet, moving away again. Past evidence suggested that she would try to keep him at a distance, making use of her longer limbs and superior strength, and he saw another kick coming before she threw it.

Catching her foot, he was forced to push the myriad of ways he could kill her out of his head. Her femoral artery was easily within reach and a number of the multiple blades he carried could cut through her tough suit. A blow to the throat would stun her, allowing him even further options to explore but before those ideas could plague him, he simply slipped in to deliver several blows to her firm abdomen before she managed to reclaim her hostage limb. Forging forward despite the pain, she grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him easily off the floor before returning him to it except on his back. Steely fingers wrapped about his wrists and posted them above his head as she straddled his abdomen, smirking superiorly.

"Pinned you," she sang.

In response, he pushed off from the mat with his feet, throwing his hips up and sending the unprepared girl sprawling forward. She landed roughly on the mat and he flipped over, positioning himself over her and managing to slide his fingers into the color of her suit, curling them into fists before rolling his knuckles onto her throat. Looping her legs about his waist, she pulled him back, relieving the pressure upon her throat, and buying her enough time to pull his hands away. Caught in her guard, he stabbed a hand through the gap between her leg and his body and managed to pull out of her grip, rising to his feet again. Bounding to hers, she barely brought up her defense in enough time to block his blow before he rotated about and landed a blow to her abdomen.

Ducking out of her reach, he let her take a step forward before sliding in again, landing a solid kick with his shin to her thigh that stalled her enough for him to deliver an elbow into her side. She responded with a strike to his chest that pushed the air out of his lungs, but he accepted the injury for the chance to deliver several more blows to her ribs before moving out of range. As he shot in again, a burst of energy impacted with his torso and launched him out of the ring, skidding across the floor. He groaned as he sat up and growled at her.

"That's cheating."

"'Train how you fight,'" she echoed back at him in a sing-song tone.

His shirt crumbled to ash as he stood and he glared at the girl who gave an innocent shrug and a smile as she stretched out her limbs. With a sigh, he turned to the door and called back, "I'm going to take a shower."

The halls were still dark and abandoned beyond his intrusion upon their serenity. He moved silently through them, heading for the room he had chosen last night and already moved his meager positions into. His father had called to inform him that they would be returning on a craft with attire and other materials for himself, Colin, and Mar'i while the Flash had returned with bulging suitcases that he had handed off to his daughter following their return from getting groceries, an undertaking far more arduous than he had ever imagined. Purchasing for his vegetarian habits was simple enough though he had to make a mental note to contact Alfred for the recipes of the marvels he had produced. However, the others clamored for greater variety, and Mar'i and Iris in particular were troublesome, with their strange palette and seemingly boundless appetite respectively. Although he was reluctant to admit, he acknowledged that they would not have been able to return their fare to the tower in one trip without Lyta's magic.

After collecting his Robin suit from his room, and hearing Colin's thunderous snores through the door in the adjacent space, he headed for his floor's bathroom and noted, with some surprise, that it was occupied. The familiar sounds of bones snapping and flesh tearing but without the thud of any blows quickly cleared away any suspicion that Mar'i had skipped out on her exercise regimen and he waited impatiently for Tyson to emerge. When the door did slide open to reveal the awkward teen, still attired in his armor, he gave a slight jump at the sight of Damian waiting. His eyes slid away from his and he reached for his hood, drawing it up in a manner that seemed subconscious.

"Go-good m-m-m-m-morning," he nodded.

Blue eyes narrowed as they studied the species-confused boy that stood before him and noted the same metallic smell that had haunted him the previous night as well after their return. Damian knew the smell well, had been raised in the near cloying scent of blood, and he didn't need any super senses to smell the way that it clung to Tyson. The young detective had already decided that it wasn't the result of the other boy's transformations as he had noticed no such aftereffect in the morphs he had witnessed.

"Logan," he gave a small inclination of his head and crossed his arms over his chest, "Do you ever change out of your armor?"

The question caused him to give a jolt but he hesitantly raised a hand to one of the softly glowing sigils inscribed on his armor and answered, "Restoration s-s-s-sigil. R-r-repairs a-and c-cl-cleans constantly."

"Convenient. Why are you awake so early?" he interrogated.

"D-d-don't s-sl-sl-sleep much," he offered nervously. His body seemed to flatten and he slid along the wall, avoiding Damian while opening the passage into the bathroom. He gestured into it, "It's o-open f-f-for use. I, um, I-I-I n-n-need to h-ha-handle . . . s-s-something."

With his excuse made, he abruptly turned into a cat and fled, leaving Damian to glower after him before entering the bathroom. He immediately noted that the sink had been utilized, but had been thoroughly washed, leaving nothing of note behind. Giving a small grunt, he set aside his suit and began to disrobe.

* * *

Lyta used her morning to bask in the early rays of the Californian sun, summoning forth a two-piece bikini for this instance and her chair to recline upon the roof. She wasn't sure if it was fair to compare it to any of the islands she had inhabited over the years, always deserted and somewhere tropical, but it was rather idyllic. At least until a shadow fell across her and she opened an eye to see an unnaturally large eagle with a double crest above her, staying aloft by broad wings that stirred the locks of her hair. Pushing herself up in the chair, she sighed, "Morning, Wyld. Would you mind getting out of me sun?"

No longer bothering to make the correction, he obediently banked and landed beside her on the roof, and then surprised her by reverting to his human shape. For a moment, he pulled anxiously at his fingers, twisting them about as he worked up the will to pose his question. Leaning back in her chair again, Lyta returned to her task of soaking up the sun's bounty as she waited for him to overcome his nervousness. By the time he finally did so, she gave a small start in surprise.

"A r-r-r-request," he began, "Need y-y-your h-help. S-s-s-s-secret."

"With what?" she sat up in her chair, giving a small frown.

"A-ar-armor. Kn-know sigils?" he pointed to the softly glowing marks etched into the leather.

"A little. I haven't had much of a chance to study them. Those ones all look pretty simple though."

"Ye-yes. But i-i-inside one's a-aren't. Y-y-y-y-you n-need t-t-to learn th-them," he pressed.

"Well, can I see them?"

"Y-y-ye-"

He was interrupted by the door banging open and Iris leaning out and calling, "Hey, if you guys want any waffles, you'd better hurry up and come downstairs. Because if you don't, I'll definitely eat them all."

As she pulled the door back shut, Lyta glanced back to Ty who shook his head, "L-l-later. G-go eat."

"Aren't you coming down?" she asked as she stood, vanishing the chair and replacing her bikini with a black shirt that left her rounded shoulders bared and a cerulean, ruffled skirt that stopped just before her knees. He shook his head, beginning to back away.

"Already a-a-a-ate. N-need t-t-to g-grab something f-from home," he responded. A dark aura surrounded his body before swallowing him, leaving the space he had occupied as the shadows dissipated. Hesitating, Lyta stepped to the spot where he had just been standing and felt the mystical trace left by his disappearance. The spell was poorly executed, sloppily done, and it would have been a simple matter to follow the trail to wherever he had ventured, but she accepted his explanation and stood, creating her own portal to sink through.

Appearing in the dining room, she found that the rest of the team had gathered and was partially surprised to see Colin at the counter, whistling to himself as he poured a cup of batter into the waffle maker. Robin, Nightstar, and Iris sat about the round table, eagerly devouring their breakfast though the last of the trio was busy chuckling maniacally as she topped her tower of waffles with whipped cream, one empty can already tossed aside. Lyta rolled her eyes and moved into the kitchen area, drawing Colin's attention to her who gave a quick smile.

"Good morning. You want chocolate chips or anything in your waffles?"

"Good morning to you as well. And I'm good. Thank you for the offer though," she answered as she grabbed a glass that they had pulled from storage. Opening the cavernous fridge, she selected a carton of orange juice from the door and filled her glass before turning to accept the plate laden with a warm waffle presented to her by Colin. She took a deep breath in through her nose, inhaling the scent wafting up from the meal and gave a pleased sigh, "Ooooh, is that cinnamon?"

"Yes, yes it is," he beamed before turning towards the others. "See? That's true appreciation of my culinary talents, you philistines. Not smothering it in syrup and more sugar so that you can't even taste my masterpiece. Or perform the utter blasphemy of mustard."

"I'm telling you, just try it once. You'll learn to appreciate it," countered the alien hybrid.

Robin merely rolled his eyes but Iris was preoccupied with standing on her seat to top off her meal, and Lyta gave a small chuckle, "I take it that this is an old conversation?"

"You try living in the house of the Batman. Trust me, you're going to want to spend your time hanging out with the butler. And in doing so, you pick up a few things," he shrugged as he poured another cup of batter onto the heated grid, sending up a hiss before he closed the upper half. Finishing the application of butter to her breakfast, Lyta offered a grin and a nod as she raised the plate.

"Well, if this tastes as good as it smells, consider me an ardent worshipper of your skill."

"You know what, turning me into a prime ribeye aside, I think you and I are going to be good friends," he declared.

Grinning, Lyta slid into a seat and began to cut away at the waffle before consuming a piece and moaning pleasurably as the taste flooded her mouth. The cinnamon taste was light, accenting the taste without being overpowering and neglecting the need for any syrup. Swallowing, she called, "If it gets me more of your food, you and I are going to be _great_ friends."

"Speaking of friends, has anybody seen Ty?" Nightstar suddenly broke into the conversation.

"I encountered him when I went to shower, but he disappeared shortly afterwards," Robin volunteered.

Holding up a hand, Lyta finished chewing another piece of her rapidly disappearing waffle before offering, "We were just up on the roof. He said that he already ate and had to run home for something real quick."

"Did he say when he would be back?" she asked.

She shrugged after another bite, "He just said he had to grab something real quick."

Iris chuckled as she grabbed her fork and knife before suddenly blurring, tearing into her tower of sugar drowned waffles and sending up a light spray of whipped cream as she did so. Mar'i shrieked as she shielded her meal and hair, Damian growled in annoyance, and Lyta managed to draw up a mystical barrier to guard herself.

* * *

Upper Lamumba was dark when Tyson Logan flashed into existence, plowing roughly into the ground as he was ejected from his portal. Tumbling for a few feet, he groaned and pushed himself up, wiping the dust and dirt from his armor even as his restoration sigil cleaned it. He lowered his hood and took in a deep breath of his homeland's air, giving a broad smile as he opened his eyes. In the years since his father had taken on his duty as the small country's king, it had flourished. It became the new location of Dayton Industries' headquarters and technology mingled with the natural elements of the land. Structures were built around the trees, designed to accommodate them and animals moved just as naturally through the streets as any of the citizens. The only artificial light came from the windows of those still awake, and the streets were lit by the soft glow of trees that had been engineered with bioluminescence.

In the center of what had once been a simple village rose the tower of Dayton Industries, a building designed with curves to emulate the natural world. It grew alongside a giant specimen of a tree, designed with walkways reaching for a number of floors to encircle the massive trunk, providing a break from the tedium of work and a view of the realm that he personally knew to be breathtaking. He had landed at the edge of the community, close to the farming fields and a brief debate led him to decide to stroll through the realm in favor of flying to his family's home. Dropping into the shape of a sturdy auroch, he plodded through his home, taking his time as he wandered through the streets. A monkey leapt from a tree, landing upon his back and chattering excitedly at him before settling in for a ride, gripping his horns. Giving a rumbling chuckle, he made no attempt at dislodging his sudden passenger and continued plodding through the streets.

The occasional inhabitant of the country who refused to succumb to sleep would pause in their midnight sojourns to offer respectful bows to the young prince who accepted their greetings with abashed nods. His simian companion called at the fellow travelers, earning chuckles and returned greetings. Several of the citizens he was more familiar with made warnings about Ferak's rampage in her attempt to find him, and he had shuddered before thanking them for the information. As he reached the quaint house outside of Dayton Industries, built to be no different from any of the other houses, he melted into his humanoid form. The newfound friend he had made shrieked at the sudden shift, but clung to his back and fell silent when he stroked its head.

He pressed a hand to their door, disengaging the mystical looks before entering the darkened abode. Altering his eyes to adapt to the lack of light, he navigated the halls to his mother's personal study and library, a room that's walls were covered in shelves crammed with thick books. Amongst the basic grimoires there were regular books such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, the occasional novel, and the stories of his early childhood. Approaching one of the shelves, he pushed at its edge and it revolved to reveal its others side, packed with more tomes. As he scanned them, the monkey leapt from his back and abandoned the room, darting down the hallway, but he remained focused on his search.

Finally finding the leather-bound manuscript he was looking for, he pulled it from the shelf, checking the sigils listed within to ensure it carried the necessary information. A faint sound pulled him from his study and his ears twitched as he looked to the doorway to see the monkey had been captured by his little sister, carried begrudgingly like a teddy bear but offering no struggle. She lifted a hand to rub at her eyes as she swayed for a moment, and he closed the book as he kneeled down before her.

"Lili, you should be in bed."

"Needed to-" she paused to give a large yawn, showing off the fangs she had inherited from their father. "Needed to tell you something."

"About what?"

Her tired, emerald gaze slid to the book he had set on the floor beside him and she mumbled, "What's that for?"

"Lyta doesn't know sigils as well as I hoped. She is going to require this to supplement her knowledge. What was it that you needed to tell me?"

Her head nodded as she fought against sleep but she murmured, "The visions – they haven't changed. The threat is still coming. You need to gather more Titans."

* * *

**Lilith Logan (based off of Lilith Clay from the comics) reveals that she is slightly more involved than her previous appearance let on. We're going to try to get one more out by Sunday before we start working on the next chapter of ACS.**

**We hope that you all enjoyed this and that you please leave a review even if it's to complain at us. We'll gladly accept that.**


	7. A Swarm of Bees in May

**We own the rights to nothing of this story.**

* * *

Ty's return to the Tower was met with a howling klaxon that nearly drove him to his knees and a flashing red light. Wincing, he raised his hands to his ears, fumbling with the thick tome as Nightstar flew down the hallway, pausing as she saw him.

"Mar'i! What's g-going on?!" he yelled over the siren.

"I don't know yet. The alarm just went off. I'm headed to the main room right now," she explained hurriedly. As she took off back down the hall, he changed into a sleek cheetah with long tentacles extending from his shoulders to carry the grimoire as he raced after her. He leapt into the large room, finding it already occupied by the other members of the team in their costumes as Robin brought up the information on the main screen, cancelling the alarm. Ty glanced out the window as he passed by it, pausing to witness a yellow and black cylinder poised over the city, spikes jutting from either of its flattened ends. A thrumming sound filled the air before a blue-green light flashed from the top of the vessel and a large translucent dome of hexagons rapidly extended over the city, sealing it off from the outside world. There was a lull for a moment and he swore that he could feel the city holding its breath before hatches on the bottom half of the ship opened and a swarm of figures in black and yellow mechanical suits emerged, flying upon shimmering wings extending from bulky backpacks.

He whipped his head about to the television as static consumed it before the image of a voluptuous woman garbed in a strange armor that continued the coloring theme and eagerly portrayed her shapely figure. Her jagged helm, which seemed combined with a crown in its design, left her pale face in view and revealed her inhuman nature, the multi-faceted eyes that still expressed arrogance. The gauntlet on her right arm was thicker than its counterpart and had small ports towards her hand. Hanging behind her like a cape was a series of shimmering wings. Full-ashen lips curled into a smile as she threw up both her arms and announced, "Humanzzzzzz! Rejoice!"

"I am Princezzzzzz Tazzala of Korll, and I have come to liberate you from the pain and agony of choicezzzzzzzz. Join the hive and eternal peaczzzzzze of only having to follow my commandzzzzz. Throw off the cutting shacklezzzzzz of free-will and submit to the joy of mindlezzzzzz zzzervitude!"

Her smile broadened and a thin, sharp tongue flickered out to lick across her full lips, "Or be exzzzzterminated like the pestzzzzz you are."

The video abruptly went black and the airborne soldiers descended upon the city, swooping through it as Impulse shouted, "Comeonweneedtogetouttherethisisourfirstbigherogig !"

"We need to get out there," Robin stood and turned to Lyta, "Can you get us into the city?"

"Gah!" Impulse howled, "Thatwhatijustsaid!"

"Not a problem," confirmed the sorceress, closing her eyes for a second as she summoned a large portal. As Robin, Impulse, and Nightfire leapt into it, Abuse took a second to frown.

"Anybody else think it's weird that we're here for, like, a day, and suddenly there's an alien invasion? Just like when the first Titans got together?" he pointed out.

Setting the book on the edge of the couch with one of his tentacles, Ty shrugged, "History has a strange tendency towards repetition."

He sprang into the portal and Abuse seemed to accept his answer before placing his hand on his hat and following him, Lyta closing the portal after she sank through it. They emerged onto one of the central streets of Jump City, amidst the chaos as civilians ran for cover and the soldiers flew about, attempting to corral the humans. Occasionally abandoning flight, they would land and smash through doorways, dragging those who had sought cover out into the streets. Upon finding resistance, blasts from their gauntlets delivered the adversary into unconsciousness. A man leapt forward to protect a family and was rewarded with a powerful blow that had him doubling over before he was kicked roughly to the ground. There was a soft whine as the blaster collected power but before it could fire, a batarang flickered through the air and stabbed into the weapon, cancelling its charge. In the next moment, the warrior was being battered aside by a metallic staff and the citizens looked up in thankfulness to the hooded Robin who turned to his teammates.

"We need to take out the force field. Nightstar, Wyld, get up there. The rest of you, we're on the ground," he directed.

"Fighting an army," Abuse noted as he seized the head of a soldier passing by, smashing it to the ground and nodding, "Sounds like a blast."

"Imhelpingwiththeship!" Impulse announced as she darted onto Ty's back before he shifted into an oversized atlas beetle. She clung to the upper horns as his carapace sprang open and stout wings launched him into the air, Nightstar firing skyward alongside him. He led the charge, battering through any soldiers who tried to intercede and accepting their blasts across his thick exoskeleton without slowing. Hovering close to him, Nightstar fired violet star bolts at those who managed to evade the giant insect as well as those who attacked from behind them. Impulse gave a whooping battle cry between shouts and warnings.

"Hitthatguythereonyourtenoclockthreeoclockeighteen oclockalloclocksjusthitthemall!"

In the streets, Robin raced along, dispatching threats with batangs launched in between melee assaults as he flowed from one foe to the next. He used his diminutive stature to his advantage, ducking beneath their swings to deliver hammering bows with his staff, cracking their black-eyed helms and sending them crashing to the ground. Planting the pole in the ground, he bounded over one's shoulder and then caught the other end of his staff in his temporarily freed hand. Using the momentum, he swung the soldier over his shoulders and into a band of them flying through the air. As another sought to attack him from behind, he jumped and landed upon its back, trading the staff for a pair of batarangs with extended, sharpened wings that he stabbed into the flight pack before steering his unfortunate mount into a lamb post, leaping off just before impact.

Robin crouched as his feet landed in the palms of Abuse who fired him into the air at a soldier who had been flying out of his range. Turning, the giant youth swatted a number of the foes aside, grabbing one of them by the arm and using it temporarily as a club as he shrugged off blasts with a grunt. Throwing aside his temporary weapon, he grabbed a car and raised it before him as a shield before dashing forward. The drones scattered before impact, but he changed his grip, seizing the trunk and whirling about to smash the fleeing figures. Tremors shook the ground as he pounded forward again, slamming into a cluster of the swarm, lashing out with fierce blows that sent them sprawling. One attempted to take off but he seized its flight pack, tearing it away before smashing the now flightless soldier into the wall, leaving an indent as he hurled the equipment at a small squad.

Violet blades of shimmering light cut through the packs, leaving the soldiers to fall as Lyta leaned out of portals before moving to her next victim. A scream brought her pause for a moment and she saw a young man struggling against one of the soldiers as it lifted him into the air. Her knives vanished and an M4 suddenly appeared in her hands, which she raised and expertly shot the flight pack with. In surprise, the drone released its captive into the waiting portal that brought him back to the street as Lyta noticed he wasn't the only victim being air-lifted. Robin landed briefly alongside her, having ran out of warriors to leap to and from, and she yelled, "They're taking people to the ship! I'm going to grab some higher ground."

There was a purple light as she vanished, and he returned his attention to the fight, lashing out with a spin kick that brought a soldier crashing into the ground before he charged towards new foes. Lyta flashed back into the material plane atop one of the taller buildings, dropping into a kneeling position with one leg raised, her knee set just above her elbow. She leaned into her rifle, its butt firmly buried against her shoulder as she conjured up a mystical sight and picked her next target. The shot arced over the city, crashing successfully once again into a soldier's flight pack as its captive was deposited safely upon the streets by a mystical portal. With a grin, she begin to pick off the soldiers with captives before they caught on and came after her. Waiting for them to close in, she leapt off the side of the building into a portal at the last second. As it closed, the portal unleashed a shockwave that had the troopers slamming into each other and toppling from the air as the sorceress nestled into a new shooting spot.

Ty, Nightstar, and Impulse's invasion of the ship was complicated by the heavy turrets lining its circumference that delivered powerful blasts capable of knocking the immense insect from the air. Nightstar was unable to acquire a target before she was forced to move again as one of them fired at her. Ty attempted to draw the fire and create an opening for her, but they were too numerous for just a single additional figure to provide an adequate distraction. As he managed to evade another barrage with grace that belied his current form, Impulse leaned forward and yelled, "Getmeincloseihaveaplan!"

He banked, drawing close to the bottom ring of cannons and Impulse leapt off, landing upon the lip that the turrets were set in. Ty pulled back, changing shapes to avoid shots now that he was no longer burdened with a passenger while the short girl raced towards one of the cannons, ramming into it with her shoulder. She hadn't gathered enough speed to inflict any damage and merely bounced off, but she had earned it attention. As it swiveled towards her, she grinned and waved enthusiastically before clasping her hands behind her back. Light gathered in the barrel of the weapon before shrieking forward – and tearing off the cannon to its side.

"Phlbt!"

It turned to its other side where the girl stuck her tongue out and wiggled her fingers at it before it launched a second attack at her that ripped through another blaster. Then there was a pressure atop of it before it was vibrated to pieces and Impulse chuckled as she spun, launching the debris as shrapnel at the other armaments and passing troopers. With most of the weaponry disabled, she put her fingers to her lips, gave a sharp whistle, and then waved to Ty and Nightstar who turned towards the ship. Glancing over her shoulder, the former called, "I'll get the door."

Purple energy built up around her and she streaked like a comet towards the cleared out section as Impulse yelped and dodged aside. The outer shell crumpled under the force of Nightstar's impact and she pushed into one of the hallways, followed by Impulse and Ty, back in his humanoid form. The opening sealed shut behind them as metal panels slammed into place, and a thrumming sound filled the hall they had infiltrated. Impulse glanced about quizzically before Nightstar supplied, "It sounds like the propulsion engines."

"So, no touching them?" she arched a brow.

"Not unless you have some way to catch this before it crashes into the city."

"That'd be a 'no,'" she acknowledged as Ty sniffed the air.

"Sh-ship's m-m-mo-mostly empty. W-would f-f-field gen-generator be with th-the p-pr-pr-propulsion s-sytstem?" Ty asked.

Nightstar shook her head, "You really think it would be that easy? No, that would be near the projection port. At the top."

"Joy," Impulse sighed. "Race you there."

* * *

"No, no, no!" Tazzala shrieked as she slammed her fists against the console, the images her swarm had collected of the interlopers now on the screen before her. The control room of her hive ship was simple, the scattered monitors only providing feeds for the sake of record. Everything the drones of her forces observed was transferred to her naturally and she drove them to focus on the costumed individuals interfering with her plot. Those not presently engaged were carrying new prospects for the hive to her ship, but the flow was too meager to assuage her temper. She whirled, a finger raised accusingly at the sole other occupant of the room, and snarled, "You promizzzzzed that there wouldn't be any of thezzzzze superheroezzzzzzz!"

Looming over her was an indigo humanoid whose skin was a mesh of insect-like carapace, bristling hairs, and thick, rough flesh. Ropy strands of hair stabbed upward from his head, seemingly more like a mass of antennae, and wings shaped like curved blades emerged from his strong back. Clawed gauntlets covered his hands, and his leggings were similarly designed with jagged points save for the stretch of cloth reaching to his knees above his loins. Gold trim complimented on dull, black armor, and it bore several smudges and scars from previous battles. Claws on his bared feet clacked against the ship's floor as he shifted his stance, crossing powerful arms across his broad, bared chest and fixing the slender princess with a white-eyed stare as he shrugged.

"You can't expect me to know everything, T. Especially not with how you've been keeping me cooped up in the bedchambers."

"Stop making exzzzzzcusezzzz, and destroy them!" she roared, flushing slightly.

"God, you're hot when you're angry. Which ones do you want me to hit, the uninvited guests or the crawlers?" he asked calmly as his lips pulled into a small grin.

"All of them!" she stamped a foot on the floor and continued to glare at him.

"Sure thing, sugar-lips," he smirked, leaning down to steal a kiss and grabbing the bug-like helmet from the stand at his side. He slid it on as he exited, adding a computerized echo to his voice as he hissed, "This is gonna be fun."

* * *

Ty grunted as he fell back, forming a tail to support himself and then adopting kangaroo legs to kick the drone in the chest with before he righted himself. In the confined quarters of the vessel, his more combat-capable forms were more of a liability than anything and he retained his human form, adopting parts as he saw necessary. Gritting his teeth as he righted himself and his tail slid back into his spine, he borrowed the trait of the horror frog and pushed the sharpened bones from the side of his wrists, slashing at the guards massing before him and forging onward. At his back, Nightstar held off another group who had attacking them from behind, returning their weapon fire with her own blasts. When the chance arose, she would turn a level a blast at the forces trying to halt their advance while Impulse dashed between the two groups, taking out adversaries as she evaded all manners of attacks.

With a roar, Ty's head morphed into a saurian semblance and he snapped at a guard, tearing off its gauntlet and revealing the limb beneath. A thick tail sprouted as he whirled, slamming a wave of them into the wall before he continued with the momentum, slashing across the chests of those who stepped forward to take their place. Adopting a pacycephalosaurus's domed skull, he bashed into another solider as a spine pushed from his tail, which had slimmed to a whip-like extension, lashing forward to pump another figure full of venom. As he advanced, he stepped upon the fallen bodies of foes he had just vanquished and raptor claws pierced into the flight packs, ensuring that even if they did awake, they would not be leaping out to help with the invasion. Ankylosaurus armor covered his back, turning the stunning blasts to minor annoyances as they streaked past the floating Nightstar.

She formed star bolts as quickly as she could, launching tiny barrages from each of her fingertips that were enough to take out the blasters of the guards. With their weaponry removed, they dashed forward and she took the time it took for them to close the distance to create larger bolts that sent them crashing backwards. Those that made it to her found themselves quickly pummeled into unconsciousness by the enemy princess, smashed into the wall by long legs and their blows redirected into each other before she unleashed a wave of energy that knocked them from their feet. A shot by one of the drones caught her in the arm and she hissed as it fell limp while another soldier reared up in front of her. She managed to dodge its blow and then brought up a knee into its abdomen, flying her victim into the ceiling. As she returned to the ground, it fell onto one of it comrades and she took to generating star bolts with her remaining functioning arm.

Darting into the thick of the enemies, Impulse launched fierce flurries before dodging away, moving too fast for any to land a blow. Flickering behind a soldier, she shook its flight pack open and chuckled evilly as she blurred through the wiring, sending the unfortunate figure crashing through its fellows before slamming into the ceiling and crumpling. Knocking out another foe with a blur of foes, she grabbed its gauntlet and vibrated the casing, cracking it open to gain access to the wiring.

"Letsseenow," she grinned as she touched a wire to a point, triggering a blast that struck another of the soldiers. Her smile broadened, "Ooooh, fun! Pew! Pew! Pewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpew!"

She spun in circles, blasting away at the surrounding adversaries before her acquired weapon spark and fizzled. Frowning, she attempted to activate the burnt out circuitry several more time before dropping the soldier and returning to her assault.

Long tendrils suddenly sprouted from Ty's back, reaching into the mass of soldiers before him as he internally sprouted several organs and modifying his cells. The drones he had come in contact with stiffened before crumpling to the ground, stunned by the electricity that flooded their system. Offering a fanged grin, Ty's arms split into a mass of tentacles as he lunged at the bank of foes. Most were treated to the electrocution that had felled their compatriots, but others found themselves entangled and hauled into the air before being launched into more groups. Nightstar found her reduced attacks bolstered by the flailing bodies of soldiers sailing over her shoulder and she smiled as she made a quick glance backwards, "Thanks for the assist."

"Happy to help," he growled as another set of limbs armed with powerful talons pushed out of his chest to contend with a soldier who had slipped past his electric tendrils. "I believe they're starting to thin."

"Rightyouarewyldicountedtwentysevenohwaittwentythr eenowbetweenusandthedoor," Impulse seemed to merely appear beside him before disappearing just as easily.

"What was that?" Nightstar asked.

"Impulse said there were twenty-three guards between us and the door at the end of this hallway. By my count, there should now only be eleven," he hurled another soldier over his shoulder into the thinning crowd that Nightstar was almost finished with. He corrected, "Ten."

"Ha!" she gave a short bark of laughter before finishing the squad she had been engaged with. The fingers of her stunned arm began to curl as the tingling left her arm and she turned to find Ty slamming the last adversary as his myriad of adaptations melted away. They glanced at each other and nodded before continuing along the hall that curved in an upward slope to a large door. Stepping inside the circular room, they halted as they saw Impulse held aloft by a towering indigo figure that clutched her throat. She scrabbled at the gauntlet holding her, rasping as she tried to breathe in and kicking her legs uselessly. Black eyes of the helmet swung towards them as they entered and he pointed at Impulse with his free hand.

"This is the one that _can't_ fly, right?"

Disregarding any answers, he turned his hand towards the wall and a light blue blast burst through the wall. With a grunt, he hurled her out of the opening as Ty roared, "No!"

Nightstar streaked through the air, following after her teammate before the metal plate could seal up the hole. The indigo figure shrugged, "Sugar-lips isn't going to be happy about that, but I'm sure she'll appre – unh!"

He was knocked from his feet as a multi-horned bull with six legs, sharp hooves, and a red glow overflowing from his eyes. Ty rumbled, "I don't have a lot of friends, so I really _don't _appreciate it when you toss them out of ships."

"Well, geez, now I feel absolutely horrible," he mocked as he stood, sending blasts from his gauntlets that the monstrous bull shrugged off as it charged at him. His wings buzzed and he shot into the air just before Ty slammed into the wall, stabbing into it. Tearing free, he whirled and growled as blasts rained down upon his back and he began to change shape. Covered in thick scales with a trunk-like body, his wide maw was filled with fangs as he hissed and long, leathery wings lifted him into the air. Solid bone spikes erupted from the tip of his long tail, smashing into the wall as he wheeled and snapped at the dark figure.

"You're just a whole mess of species, aren't you?" he observed, launching blasts that failed to penetrate the vaguely crocodilian creature's hide.

"I am _Wyld_!" he roared as he lunged forward.

"Killer Wasp. Nice to meet'cha," his foe returned evenly as the glow of his energy blasts surrounded his claws.

* * *

**Well, we finally got to the team's first combat. Hope that you all enjoyed it.**

**And, clearly, Ty has grown tired of protesting Iris's pseudonym for him.**

**Please review! We would be exceedingly grateful.**


	8. Baby Bumble Bee

**We own the rights to nothing in this story.**

* * *

Catching Impulse after she was thrown out of the ship was not particularly difficult for Nightstar. Her windmilling had slowed her descent and her light weight prevented her from gathering any substantial speed from the start of her fall. In comparison with the hybrid girl's self-propulsion, it hadn't even been a contest.

The trouble came from holding onto the speedster with one arm, her other hanging uselessly and still paralyzed from the earlier shot as she evaded the enemy. All the drones they passed seemed to take the opportunity to take aim at her, and she twisted and twirled as she sought to avoid them. Several grazed her and she hissed at their heat, but none scored a direct hit to stun more of her body. With a slight toss, she tucked her parcel closer to her body to prevent any errant blasts from striking her before spotting an unoccupied roof. Ducking through the fire, she swooped onto the roof and into a small greenhouse that had been built upon it. Depositing the shorter girl on the ground, she turned back towards the door and unleashed a barrage of star bolts at the soldiers who had been tailing her, forcing them to veer away. Turning back to her teammate, she darted forward as the shorter girl's shaky legs gave out and she fell towards the floor, saved from any pain or injury by the golden limb supporting her. As the speedster took in deep breaths, Nightstar placed a hand on her back and could feel her heart hammering through her ribcage.

"Are you going to be all right?" the ebony-haired girl asked worriedly.

Impulse opened her mouth to speak but instead simply gulped in more air. After several more attempts, she merely offered a shaky thumbs-up and her teammate chuckled before glancing up to the ship still floating above them. Turning her amethyst gaze back to the jittery girl, she said, "Listen, I left Ty up there on his own. I need to make sure he's all right. I'm going to drop you off with Lyta until you're better, okay?"

She nodded in answer and Nightstar curled an arm about her waist before lifting off, shooting through the plastic roof. The drones had been waiting for her, and they opened fire as soon as she appeared but she spiraled above them before diving into the alleys between the buildings of the city. Their flight packs humming, they gave chase with impressive synchronicity, all driven by the thoughts of their queen. After several sharp turns and sudden dives, it was evident that she was not about to outfly them, but she devised another plan and made another turn and began skimming above the street as she called out to the hulking figure thrashing a small hoard of their enemy.

"Abuse! Hardball!"

He turned at his name and spotted Nightstar rocketing down the street towards him, a swarm closing in on her. Reacting quickly, he grabbed a car that he hadn't used in his battle yet and hefted it over one shoulder as he slid into a batting stance. As they drew closer, he whispered, "He's at the plate. Here's the pitch . . ."

Nightstar ducked, narrowly avoiding as he swung his makeshift bat into the crowd who had been chasing her, sending them bowling through the air before they crashed into the ground. Smiling, she shot back into the air as he raised his arms in victory and yelled, "And it's outta there! The crowd goes wild!"

Lifting skyward, the princess curved towards Lyta's roof where she continued to snipe at the captors stealing away the citizens and teleporting the latter to safety. The demigoddess spared a glance back as Impulse was left behind her and the ebony-haired girl paused to offer an explanation.

"Impulse just got thrown out of the ship. I'm headed back up there; Ty's on his own."

"Tell him that I'm beginning to rethink this whole Teen Titans thing," she quipped between shots.

"I'll be sure to pass on the message," she returned before firing into the air. Sensation was beginning to return to her numbed arm and she successfully formed a fist before starting to move the entire limb. Holding both her fists in front of her, she generated a star bolt about her body and charged towards the vessel once more. Cannon fire was directed at her once more, but she evaded the broad beams with twists and spirals, refusing to perform any maneuvers that would greatly slow her climb. Drones attempted to engage her but after the first was punched into the dome roof of the force field, they learned to keep their distance. Gritting her teeth, Nightstar clenched her eyes shut just before she tore through the side of the craft, creating the third hole in its hull that was sealed just like the others.

Staggering to her feet, she quickly noted that she was in the wrong chamber, but was forced to bring up her arms as an armored foot launched towards her face. Pushed back several feet, she went airborne and dodged away from the second attack, circling about to find that she was facing the armored girl who had called herself Princess Tazzala. The invader snarled as she whirled, her wings going rigid as she rose to face Nightstar.

"Why fight thiszzzzz? I'm here to take away all that pain and zzzzzzzsuffering brought on by free will. I'm doing you humanzzzzzz a favor," she hissed as she launched herself forward, rolling into an axe kick from above that Nightstar managed to catch. Tazzala raised her right arm and fired a series of projectiles from the thick gauntlet upon her wrist, hitting her opponent in the stomach. Wincing, Nightstar seized her leg and hurled her across the room before glancing to the cartridges tipped with points that had pierced through her suit. She quickly pulled them out and cast them towards the floor before the hum of wings warned of Tazzala's approach once again.

Letting her drawn in close, Nightstar performed a backwards flip in the air, throwing herself under her fellow princess and delivering a kick that launched her upward. Stopping several feet short of the ceiling, she shook her head before the ebony-haired girl impacted, shoving her into the ceiling and then letting her topple to the floor. Tazzala's wings flickered and she caught herself, rising into the air before turning to glower at the golden girl who responded with a volley of star bolts. The armored girl rose, weaving in and out of the bolts that cascaded against the wall behind her, above the ship's consoles when her assailant suddenly faltered. She glanced up to see the golden girl dip and raise a hand to her forehead, swaying slightly and a carnivorous smile bloomed on the conqueror's face as she dropped to the floor, setting a hand on her hip. Striding over to one of the consoles, she typed in her demand and there was a whir before a yellow helm with large black eyes and antennae, matching those worn by her drones, emerged.

Nightstar groaned as she descended, pressing both palms to her foreheads as thoughts that were not her own began to flood her mind. They were simplistic, mantras of merely protecting the Hive and the Queen, but there was a dominating presence driving them. A demand that hammered about her school, trying to beat her mind into submission as Tazzala spoke, "I'm afraid that I have not matured enough to produzzzzzze my own hypno pollen. But I . . . _acquired_ a szzzzzample from one of my zzzisterszzzzz and managed to modify it. Welcome to the hive."

As the helmet was slipped onto the struggling girl's head, the last of those pesky, independent thoughts abandoned her mind and she squared her shoulders before bowing before Tazzala, intoning mechanically, "All hail the queen."

"Now go and sszzzzzzerve your queen!" she demanded as the ceiling opened. Nightstar shot into the tunnel that traveled to one of the hatches that her fellow drones had poured out of, and she emerged into the sky. She hesitated as she received the orders from her queen before screaming towards the city below.

Robin was beginning to run low on batarangs, forcing him to push his burning muscles harder as he closed the distance between himself and the soldiers without getting hit. Bounding off the roof of a car, he landed on the face of one of the enemy, cutting into the flight pack, before leaping for the next. Grabbing the dangling foot, he scrambled up and managed a grip on the helmet as he swung the rest of his body up to deliver a devastating knee that dropped the foe. As it tumbled, he pushed off, throwing it into a squadron of its fellows while he leapt for another drone. He drove his elbow into its shoulder and pulled, causing it to flip upside down and be driven into the ground by its flight pack while he leapt away, landing safely on the roof of a car. Glancing up, he noted the cloud of them was beginning to thin, and he hoped that was not merely because they were all descending into the streets.

A sudden explosion drew his attention upward and his gaze snapped to a nearby building where a cloud of dust and debris had erupted from one of its corners. Violet light brought him street level again and he turned to see a harried Lyta and Impulse drop from one of the former's portals.

"Nightstar went crazy," she explained quickly.

"Shewaswearingoneofthoseyellowhelmetsandshejustcam eatusoutofnowhere!" added the short girl. He looked upward again to see his fellow Gothamite descend from the dust, yellow helm hiding away her face and star bolts glowing about her fists. Growling, he pulled several of the remaining batarangs from his belt and barked over his shoulder.

"Get Abuse. We might need him for this."

Lyta nodded and disappeared in a flash of purple, leaving a somewhat anxious Impulse and a grim Robin. Sparring was held back by the fact that one rarely wanted to hurt one's partner, and in their first match, before Nightstar had fully mastered her strength and speed, she had nearly hospitalized him. Not eager for a more vivid recount of the time, he launched the batarangs into the air and while she blasted several them out of the air, enough made contact, exploding and covering her vision in a cloud of smoke. As she was blinded, he launched another of the projectiles that hit her arm as she extended it, ice suddenly coating her limb. She unleashed star bolts from the other limb, targeting the cars about him as she generated enough heat to break the ice on the other. Explosions rocked the street as her bolts ignited the fuels in the tanks and Robin found himself speeding away from the spray of shrapnel in the arms of Impulse who dumped him on the ground once they were in an alley.

"Areyourbonescoatedinmetalorsomethingwhyissomebody thatsmallthatheavy?!" she demanded to which he scowled.

"Speak normally," he growled as a flash of violet light hailed the return of Lyta alongside Abuse. She gave a whistle at the smoking remnants of the vehicles outside their regrouping place.

"Looks like you guys went and threw a party without me."

"What's going on?" Abuse asked. "She just said that you needed me."

"Nightstar is no longer in control of her actions. We have to take her down," he announced.

"So, Protocol Alpha-Four?" Abuse folded his arms over his chest.

"I do not have enough batarangs for that. Are you up for Alpha-Seven?" he countered.

His friend winced and groaned, "I hate Alpha-Seven."

"Wait, you have protocols to take down your friends?" Lyta interjected.

"You kidding?" grinned the bruiser. "Dami's got protocols to take down his own dad. Course, I still don't think they'll work."

"Do you have any on me?" Impulse queried.

"Not yet," Robin admitted off-handedly, preoccupied with furtively peering from the alley to locate the target.

"Charming," Lyta observed drily. "Are Impulse and I going to be any help here or can we go back to trying to save the civilians?"

"The latter. We can handle this," answered the Boy Wonder. Rolling her eyes, Lyta glanced to Impulse who shrugged before shooting towards the road not occupied by their mind-controlled teammate. With a sigh, the sorceress disappeared into one of her portals while Abuse took the opportunity to stretch, rolling out his tired muscles.

"All right. This should work," he said, grabbing a dumpster from the alley and dragging it towards the edge as Robin reached into his utility belt.

Driven by the commands of her queen, Nightstar floated above the street, scanning the debris for their bodies when a sharp whistle drew her attention past the smoldering vehicles. Waving his thick arms was the coat-wearing member of the group resisting the queen's rule, standing in front of a dumpster he had pulled alongside him. Generating star bolts about her hands, she launched them in a volley at the muscular figure who swore before running from the assault, pushing his dumpster before him.

"I hate Alpha-Seven!" he yelled, holding his hat in place with one hand. Swinging about, he activated the explosives that they had attacked to the back of the dumpster before lifting it onto his shoulder and launching it at his friend. She dodged to the side, but the explosion rocked her, knocking her further out of the air and into the path of a batarang that clanged against her helmet before exploding again. Dazed, she was unprepared for the Robin that leapt from the roof of one of the adjacent buildings, his staff against her throat as he pressed his knees into her back. It wasn't entirely effective, she didn't breathe as they did, but it lowered her closer to the ground and was enough of a distraction that she didn't notice the immense youth barreling towards her before he was in the air, both fists raised to deliver a hammer blow that smashed her into the ground.

Robin stood cautiously, ensuring that Nightstar was not about to rise out of the slight crater her landing had created while Abuse winced, "I am never going to hear the end of this. You realize that she's going to make me carry all her shopping stuff for, like, a year? And that's if I'm lucky."

Any response was cut off by a roar that echoed throughout the city, shaking the windows of the city.

* * *

Killer Wasp was not used to facing foes larger than himself, and he swore that he would erase the several minutes of footage that showed him being battered around by the amalgamation of animals that charged at him. Wyld wielded his tail effectively, bashing it into the foe any time he tried to evade his wings or fierce maw, and Killer Wasp's blasts rained largely harmlessly on his thick hide and scutes. Unfortunately, the indigo figure quickly realized this and turned to targeting the thin membrane of his wings, driving him to the ground and to assume a new form. Maintaining the dermal armor, he swelled into a powerful body, ape-like in structure, with spinal processes pushing from his back and horns stabbing from his face. His face had flattened, but was still somewhat pointed and his large mouth was lined with fangs as he roared at the flying figure.

"Seriously, what the Hell is your story? Somebody irradiate an entire zoo and then sic them on you?" Killer Wasp chattered as he darted about before a fist as large as him collided with his body, sending him slamming into the wall. Shaking his head as he pulled from the indent, he grumbled, "Not a fan of that one? All right, I think I've got a better origin story anyway."

Springing into the air, he shot at the behemoth, firing blasts towards his eyes only for the tree trunk thick arm to block the blasts. Flitting about, he suggested, "You were born on a doomed planet highly similar to Earth and your parents turned you into a living Noah's Ark before launching you off-world. Oooh, that's a good one. Yep. That's it. From here on out, that's your back story."

"And what about you?" Wyld thundered as he swung another fist. "You're human. Why are you helping her subjugate us?"

"Wow, you can tell that? Everybody's assumed I was some sort of monster ever since dear old dad decided to run a few experiments on me. Not that I don't dig the benefits, but still," he shrugged as he darted upward before driving into the base of Wyld's skull with his heels. The beast staggered and Killer Wasp rose into the air as he continued, "But sugar-lips thinks I'm the hottest thing on this planet, and wants to breed a whole new colony with me. So we're just looking for a nice neighborhood to raise the kids."

Wyld's neck suddenly extended and he snapped at him. Managing to catch his jaws, he struggled with them before firing a blast into his unprotected mouth, and Wyld reared back, collapsing back into his humanoid form, clutching at his throat. Firing a blast at the wall behind him, Killer Wasp grabbed him as he dived into the air, driving him towards the ground.

"Anyway, I got a better question. I may have once been a human, but you obviously never were. So what the Hell are you doing protecting them?" he pondered, his claws digging into Wyld's shoulders as he clutched at the larger teen's wrists. He clenched his eyes shut and ground his teeth together, dark whispers beginning to pour through his head as he acknowledged his point.

"Y-y-y-you're r-r-right. I-I-I'm _n-not_ h-h-human," he growled as his mouth and eyes opened, releasing black smoke and a violent scarlet glow respectively. Killer Wasp blinked in surprise beneath his helm as scales stabbed through Wyld's skin and a scream tore from his lips. Bones broke and reknitted themselves into a new shape as his muscles tore to accommodate the new structure beneath them. Breaking away, Killer Wasp watched with something between horror and astonishment as long talons ripped out of Wyld's fingers and fangs pushed from his gums. He hunched over as wings emerged from his shoulder blades and a tail whipped from the base of his spine. His neck extended and his face elongated into a shout as thick horns twisted from his head, followed by jagged spines erupting along his back. As he swelled to a size that rivaled the ship above them, the dragon unleashed a gout of flame into the sky followed by a roar that echoed throughout the city.

"Okay, now that's just not fair," Killer Wasp shouted after recovering from his shock. He was swatted away by the gigantic wyrm who lifted towards the ship, simply ignoring the cannon fire that was now dedicated wholly to him. Rising to the top of the craft, he wrapped his sinuous tail about the upper portion, crushing the armor as he constricted the ship and dug his claws into the hull. They stabbed into its interior and the dome holding the city captive began to flicker and fade as he snapped at the projector, ripping off pieces before unleashing another inferno from his mouth. The dome collapsed and Wyld pushed off, turning in the air to attack the lower half of the vessel, clutching it in his talons as his wings gave heavy pumps, lifting into the air and swinging the ship around.

Dragging the ship from the city, he flew towards the outskirts on powerful wings as his claws twisted deeper into the ship's interior before finally tearing into the propulsion system. It fizzled and shut off as he swung the vessel into a field off the highway and landed beside the downed vessel. He released another thrumming roar that dwindled into a scream as he returned to his human form, kneeling upon the ground as he clutched at his torso. His eyes still glowed crimson as howls and screeches roared in his ears, and he could feel his flesh distending under his armor as limbs and fanged jaws tried to tear out of him. Panting heavily, he tried to push away the smell of smoke and brimstone that flooded his nostrils, fangs digging into his lips as he fought towards reality.

The wild calls that rang in his ears deafened him to the sound of panels being torn aside as Tazzala tore from her ship, her helmet knocked off to reveal her thick lilac hair. She stumbled out, snarling to herself before spotting the collapsed hero quaking before her. Her rage was replaced by a sinister smile as she raised her gauntlet, taking aim at the ignorant figure.

Pulled from his struggle by the sudden gust, Wyld turned to see Impulse standing triumphantly over the unconscious invader, striking a victorious pose with both hands on her hips. She beamed at her friend, "Okay, tell me that wasn't awesome."

* * *

After Tazzala's ship had been crippled, the drones had turned aimless and merely descended to the ground to be restrained by the police force. Killer Wasp had disappeared in the confusion, but the Teen Titans had emerged victorious to the roaring cheers of the citizens of Jump City. Robin had pulled back from the clamor only to have Lyta scoff at his request for teleportation, too drained to do any more than the most meager of magicks. Nightstar was free of Tazzala's control upon awakening and Abuse had been, in his eyes, unobtrusively avoiding her since then. They had managed to regroup with Wyld and Impulse, finding the pair of them helping with the clean-up and repair of the city. Reluctantly, the others had joined in on the effort before retiring to the Tower, a task made easier when Wyld shifted into a giant quetzalcoatlus and offered them all a ride.

Impulse had boarded eagerly and the others followed, even Nightstar who was still woozy. They had returned to the tower and taken their turns in the showers before settling down for a meal and then retiring for the night. The sun had sunk beneath the horizon and Iris, Colin, and Ty lounged upon the couch, the final of their number having slipped into sleep in the form of a feline. Iris stroked him absent-mindedly as Colin flicked through the channels, pausing on a news report that featured an image of the ship they had just downed.

"In what may have been the shortest known invasion yet, a figure calling herself Tazzala descend upon Jump City with her troopers only to be stopped by -"

"Heeheehee," Iris suddenly snickered and Colin glanced over, arching a brow.

"What?" he demanded as he laughter grew.

Sputtering as she tried to explain, she stopped and took a moment to compose herself before taking in a breath and offering, "'Swarm' troopers."

She broke down into another fit of giggles as the large figure groaned and dropped his face into his palms.

* * *

**Yay, they won! We hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you express said enjoyment by leaving a review. We need them.**

**Iris cannot resist making puns.**


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